Rebuilding
by FireandIce128
Summary: Sokka and Suki got into a horrible fight and separated. Eighteen years later, Suki made the choice to finally visit him because of important matters. How will they get along? Are feelings still there? How would things change after Sokka found out something he never knew?
1. Time To Start

**Hello all! Just to tell you, I'm quite new to writing fanfiction. The last and only time I wrote one was two years ago (A Kataang oneshot).**

**Now, I've had an idea that was unexpectedly influenced by the works of a friend of mine here, Foreveralways101. (Seriously go check out her stories!)**

**Hope you guys like the story.**

**Orginal characters belong to Bryke.**

* * *

"You ready for this Suki?"

"Not at all, but it's something I must do."

"Well Katara and I have your back. Let us know once you arrive in Republic City."

"Thank you, Aang."

"No problem, Suki."

And with that, Suki hung up her phone contently. Aang and Katara helped arranged a much needed trip for her. This was her choice. An important, yet stressful choice. There was one person she needed to see the most.

Sokka. The man who helped the Avatar end the hundred year war. The man who plays a vital role in the Council of Republic City. 'The world's greatest sword master,' they would call him. 'Quite the ladies man,' others would say. The newspaper would address him as a noble councilman and a skilled warrior, the type of man who speaks with intelligence and fights with courage. Magazines claim he is one of Republic City's 'finest,' a man who maintains attractive features and a good physique at the age of thirty eight.

The man who is her ex-husband. A grimace would appear on her face every time she thought about their last encounter eighteen years ago.

* * *

_It was just another typical day on the island of Kyoshi, in a house distant from the village and close to the shore. Husband and wife were fighting again._

_"I can't take this anymore Suki. I try my best to be a good warrior, a good leader, a good worker, a good friend, but above all, I try my best to be a good husband. And all I get is all this complaints from my wife?!" His anger is on a level that is impossible to be tamed. Sokka is sick of constant fights and feeling unappreciated. He questions why can't his wife accept his duties. No matter how much he tries to help the world, he receives backlash from his wife. To him, it doesn't seem fair at all._

_Tears fell down her face. She hated having these fights, but both her and Sokka have started to resent each other these past few months. Sure, they would have times when they make up now and then, and they even made love over two weeks ago. But each fight seems to get worse, and 'making up' turned into 'going to bed without saying a word.'_

_"Sokka, I'm always home alone most of the time! I have times when I'm stressed with work in the dojo, meetings with uptight parents, and especially, I have lots of times where I need a shoulder to lean on cause I can't stand all the stress. But are you ever there for me?!" She would scream back at him._

_"No!" She yells, sadness and hurt evident in her voice. "Instead, I worry about you fighting some Fire Nation rebellions. I hate how you travel often to accomplish tasks in other villages instead of helping out over here. I don't see why you're so busy meeting up with chiefs and governors in other places. You seem to use your status as a warrior to help establish conduct all over the world. But don't you see how your craving for success is taking over you?!"_

_Sokka was taken aback from her statement. "What on earth do you mean by that?"_

_"All you care about is making your mark everywhere! You've become obsessed trying to establish order in all these places, you seem to be outdoing the Firelord and the Avatar. Is this really your job Sokka?! Even Zuko and Aang try to take it easy."_

_He can't help but want to criticize her comment harshly, but allowed her to continue speaking. Still anxious to see what else she has to say._

_"You let your desire for success take over you! You want everyone to know you're a great leader and you're captivated by the idea that people would look up to you and spread good words of you. You clearly want to make yourself a notable subject in history. That's why you're always off to places trying to enhance this so called 'United Nations' you, Aang and Zuko keep talking about. And what? Lemme guess, people praise you. Guys probably want to be you and girls were probably begging for your autograph right? The attention you always enjoyed... The type of attention you never allowed your wife to give you."_

_Sokka's eyes widen at that last sentence, as if the rest of her words didn't strike him hard enough._

_"Yeah," Suki continues with tear drops still dripping and a sniffle. "All you care about is becoming a successful leader, and you're so preoccupied with your 'duty' that you don't care about your wife. While you're out in who knows where, your wife would be sitting at home alone, wondering if you'd be home safe from any attacks, or maybe possibly enjoying a good time in a town without me." Her facial expression became more fragile as she added one last comment with her head down. "It's hard being in a marriage where your spouse isn't willing to commit as much as you are."_

_After a brief moment of silent, Sokka clenched his teeth and tightened his fist, trying his best not to unleash the anger building quickly inside him as he speaks._

_"Don't you dare accuse me of that." His voice so malicious, his tone so hateful. "I try my best to become the person I've always wanted to be. The type of person that would make my father proud. And here I am, listening to my wife argue about how my dreams are a fraud, and I'm just nothing but an arrogant man? Is that so?" _

_Suki responded quietly, her eyes away from her husband's glare, "I never said your dreams are a fraud."_

_"But I am arrogant right?"_

_"Well all you do is care for yourself!"_

_"What about you?!" He finally yells._

_Jumping at his sudden loud gesture, she slowly responds back. "What do you mean me?" _

_"You're probably the one who's selfish! Go ahead and complain about how I'm trying my best helping the Avatar establish peace in this world while you simply have no one to tuck you in at night," Sokka screams in a scornful manner. "I try my best to help out in this world. I work my butt off to do it. And nothing annoys me more than listening to my wife nag about her stupid notion about me caring for myself! All this just because she feels lonely. Just because she wants someone at home to help around despite her husband helping the world."_

_Now this time it's Suki's turn to be taken aback. She can't believe her husband is claiming that she's the problem. "Are you serious right now?!" She began to choke. "I just want you in bed with me every night. I want you to be there when I wake up. I just want it to be easy to see you as my husband for once. Is that so bad?!" Her voice cracked and it's likely that she's about to cry._

_Sokka took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and answers, "Honestly Suki, I just can't stand being with a wife who can't accept her husband's duties."_

_Suki eyes widened, her mouth open._

_He continues, "There's a world that needs changing. I'm one of the few who help establish that transition, and if you can't accept that..." He pauses, his eyes becoming wet, "Then you can just stay out of my way."_

_Suki just couldn't believe her ears. That last sentence was like the final blow after multiple attacks. Next thing she knew, she took her hand and slapped Sokka on the side of the face with much fore._

_"How could you?! I thought you loved me!? Why would you ever say that?!"_

_"And I thought you loved me too! But clearly all I'm seeing lately is resentment. I can't stand it anymore Suki. How many days has it been like this?" His voice quiet, signifying he just wants to be done with the situation. "I'm not going to listen to you complain about this anymore."_

_Tears beginning to overflow from her eyes, rage taking over her body, she raised her hand and was preparing to slap Sokka once more. This time, Sokka grabbed her arm right before her hand touched his face, and just released._

_With that, he walked out of the house and proceeded to one of the small airships next to the dock._

_"Well fine!" Suki screams as Sokka walks away. "I don't need you." Her voice filled with anger. It was as if her mind was poisoned by fury. "You weren't a good husband to me, and I can find another man! Hopefully I won't make another mistake, like meeting you!"_

_Sokka stopped in his tracks, and slowly turned around, "Then stay away from me then!" _

_And he arrived at the airship, leaving the island he lived in for two years and his wife of three years, sitting in the front of her porch crying her night away._

* * *

Suki always tries her best to push this memory to the back of her mind. But it's impossible. It was one of the worst moments in her life (or maybe even THE worst).

"Mom?"

Suki turned around to see her son. "Oh Lei, I didn't see you come in. Finished with practice?"

"Yeah. Nothing new. Just the basic techniques reviewed." Lei added as he tossed his equipment on the floor and jumped onto the couch, preparing for a nap.

At seventeen years old, Lei is beginning to look so much like his father.

"Lei..."

"Yes mom?"

"We're headed to Republic City tomorrow."

Lei's eyes went wide. His tired demeanor all of a sudden disappeared. This is because he knew exactly what is going on.

* * *

**Before anyone thinks Sokka was a jerk, we'll see him in the next chapter and what he thought of the fight. **

**Reviews would be awesome! Any comments and tips would be hugely considered!**

**I'll try my best to keep this story updated ASAP, college work definitely gets in the way.**


	2. City Man

**Finally got the second chapter up. Get this, I finished typing most of this chapter up, only to have lost the file because I accidently saved it in an unsafe document. So I had to write most of this chapter again. :( On other hand, I happen to think my second attempt came out much better than the first.**

**Original characters belong to Bryke.**

* * *

Morning has started. The sun shines its rays over the metropolis known as Republic City. Serving as the capital of the United Republic of Nations, founded by Avatar Aang and Firelord Zuko, the city is rapidly growing in population and has a thriving economy. Skyscrapers as tall as the statue of Avatar Aang are slowly forming a skyline of the city, while homes are spreading towards the mountainside. It now stands as one of the biggest cities in the world, rivaling Ba Sing Se. Hard to believe it used to be a small town two decades ago. Like other cities and towns, Republic City, as well as the nation itself, is governed by laws served by the United Republic Council.

On the top floor of a high rise building facing Yue Bay, there was the home for the chairman of that council. His name is Sokka.

"Rise and shine," he would groan sarcastically to himself. It is morning, the start of another weekday. Time to start his regular routine of waking up and preparing for work. He slowly got up, went to brush his teeth, took a quick shower, put on some formal clothing, and made breakfast.

As he sits alone, eating from the bowl of rice noodles in front of him, he would contemplate life. It is actually common for him to do so on a typical weekday mornings. Might as well be one of his morning routines.

Having broken up from a relationship a few months ago, he's been quite lonely lately. Council meetings have been tiring, but he would usually arrive home just to be busy himself with more papers or physical workouts. He hasn't had much time to talk with his friends or families lately, but he does have the occasional job of dropping off or picking up Lin and Tenzin from daycare, Kya from school, and Bumi from sword practice. Seeing the smiles and joyful personalities on these kids faces is what helps make his life less boring. He can't resist the cute, pouting faces on Tenzin and Lin that gives him no choice but to buy them toys. Seriously, those pouting faces are definitely a trick. Kya is now becoming 'a big girl,' as she would call herself. But that adorable face would not be maturing away from him anytime soon.

Bumi, a maturing teenager, is the one Sokka has a deep connection with. Bending wasn't his trait, and that serves as his insecurity. His father is the Avatar, his mother is a master waterbender, his sister is a waterbender, and everyone recently discovered that his brother is an airbender. What about him? That is when Sokka's instincts come in. Both uncle and nephew would spend time together. Sokka would teach his nephew about how to use a sword, the techniques that would defend and attack, and most of all, he would explain to Bumi about how bending could never serve as an advantage for one person. It is how one uses his skills that is important.

Thinking about his young ones always warms his heart. However, now and then, he would think about that dreadful day.

_Sokka looked off gloomily towards the island of Kyoshi, getting smaller and smaller as his airship gets further away. _

_Once the island can't be seen, the warrior sat there, tears slowly forming. "I can't believe it," he quietly murmured to himself. Memories of her flood in his head. All the good memories. Where have they gone? Why does it have to end like this? He did what he hadn't done in years, cried. It was like he could have died from this pain. _

_He knew where his next destination is now. The Firelord's palace. He wasn't in the mood to tell his sister and his best friend. Katara and Aang could hear about this later. Now is not the time_

_Zuko was his best friend too, and over the years they have gotten really close. They would help each other through tough times, whether it's job-related stress or emotional struggles. They've always been there for each other like brothers, and that's exactly what Sokka needs now. A brother. _

_As time passes, he realized he has approached the Fire Nation. Guess the hours fly by quickly when you have sadness and oncoming depression to distract you _

Again, Sokka tries his best to pay no attention to that disastrous event. It's unforgettable, but he tries his best to push it towards the back of his mind. Although he admits, he'll be lying if he said he wish she wasn't by his side right now. Heck, even Ty Lee tried to convince him to get back with Suki a few months after their separation, but that's all pointless now.

_What's done is done, _he would tell himself.

After breakfast and contemplation was over, the former Water Tribe warrior put on his coat and headed out his apartment. He could really use a distraction from his thoughts. Besides, he's actually looking forward to today's council meeting. Zuko will be there.

* * *

Resolving issues in the council can be quite tedious. It seems that every city or town needs to consult together in order to establish agreements, which then allowed the sharing of goods. There seems to be needs for supplies everywhere.

"The Fire Nation is willing to export some armory and steam powered vehicles to Republic City," the Firelord addresses to the council. "There are some towns within the nation that we're still trying to negotiate peace and business with, but I'm positive there are no tense troubles."

"Agreed," adds Chin, the Fire Nation councilman. "The number of occurrences pertaining to Fire Nation rebels are dwindling. It seems Ozai's mark on the nation and the people is vanishing. All that's left to do is settle some agreements between the Fire Nation and the United Nations."

Sokka was pleased to hear the Fire Nation is slowly making its way towards unity, thanks to Zuko's rule. "That reminds me, the Southern Water Tribe is also low in vehicles too. They can definitely use an adequate supply to support the growing population."

"So does the Northern Tribe," adds Tao, representative of the Northern Water Tribe. "The newly built trains have been dealing with overcrowding issues."

"The Fire Nation will surely be on it," replies Zuko. "By the way, Heng, has the Earth Kingdom send any shipments lately?"

The Earth Kingdom representative responded, "Oh yes, they are on that. I apologize for the delays. Our companies were so focused on catering to the Air Nation's wishes that they didn't have the proper amount of goods to ship to the Fire Nation just yet."

"Yes, I see..." The Firelord understood this predicament. The Air Nation, with its nomadic lifestyle, could really use some help with particular modes of transportations for acolytes and tourists alike. However, the Fire Nation is also in need of certain manufactures made exclusively in the Earth Kingdom. It's too bad Huan, the Air Nation acolyte and representative, was not here today to discuss such matters.

Noticing the disappointed look on his face, Sokka had an idea. He assured his friend, "Don't worry Zuko. I had a talk with Aang last week. He and Huan discussed the conditions of the temples and Huan will be heading to Ba Sing Se to establish some negotiations with the city's representatives. Aang already discussed the issue with the Earth King. Let both those nations handle each other only."

Zuko was confused, "But what about the Fire Nation, Sokka?"

Chin also added, "Yes Councilman Sokka. Our nation is in need of these supplies now that some of our machinery are running scarce after the Hundred Year War."

"That's where my idea comes in," the chairman assured. "The United Nations is having no shortage of any manufactures or goods. With our booming economy and growing productions, certainly our nation can help provide for the Fire Nation."

The Firelord questioned, "You sure about this Sokka?" The rest of the councilman surely awaited his reasoning.

"Of course Zuko, Republic City and the nation as a whole have been mostly receiving imports from other nations that help build this thriving economy. Now, it wouldn't hurt for the nation to start exporting."

"I agree," Tao added. "The United Nations can certainly help provide for the Fire Nation. There's never been any complications with productions around here."

"That's right Tao," Sokka spoke positively. "And besides, with more exports means more agreements. In a matter of time, Republic City will be a global superpower."

The councilmen exchanged surprised glances. Surely the chairman was headed somewhere in this direction. They all gave him a smile and nodded.

"So it's settled then, the United Nations will start sending shipments to the Fire Nation. All in favor?" He asked the rest of the council.

They all rose their hands.

Sokka smiled, and so did the Firelord.

"Good," Sokka said contentedly. "We'll discuss more details about the shipment, but as of now, evening is approaching. We're done for today. Have a goodnight gentlemen."

As everyone got up and said their typical 'see you tomorrow' farewells, Sokka retreated to his office to organize some papers before he leaves.

"You did it again didn't you?"

He turned around to see Zuko in the doorway, not noticing he followed.

"Yet again, Sokka, chairman of the council and Southern Water tribe representative, comes up with a brilliant idea yet again."

Sokka smiled at his compliment. He's glad that he's succeeding as chairman. It is certainly not an easy job, but it's promising to know he's good at what he's doing.

"Thanks Firelord," he responded happily. "Just another day in the life of Councilman Sokka."

Zuko laughed softly. "Yes indeed. And I know exactly what Sokka needs on a typical day. I'm thinking Hong's Restaurant?"

Pausing for a second and looking at Zuko in an excited manner, Sokka could hear his stomach starting to growl. "You don't have to ask me twice."

* * *

The Firelord and the former Water Tribe warrior were completely full. Nothing is more satisfying than Hong's, one of the most upscale restaurants in Republic City. Tonight's special was hot pot served with fried dumplings and egg noodle soup. Both men surely made us of that special. They were also glad they sat in a private area, so no signing autographs or obsessive fan girls trying to ruin their delicious meals like last time.

"So..." Zuko started the next conversation."Haven't seen you in four months. Tell me about yourself now? Anything you need to open up too?" Zuko could clearly use a brother-to-brother conversation with his best friend. They always had each other's back and still maintain contact from afar. Thank goodness for messengers hawks and mailman, and rapid development in transportation in aiding that process.

Sokka had no hesitation to talk to Zuko at all. He was glad his best friend was here, for he had things to say in order to get it off his chest. "Well, here's the biggest news. I broke up with Hu Li over two months ago."

"No way! Really?!"

"Yes..."

"Honestly Sokka, I'm glad."

Hu Li was a married woman with two children, one a fifteen-year-old teen boy and the other a nine-year-old girl. Sokka met her two years ago after dropping Bumi off at sword practice. He then found out that she was the wife of Bumi's mentor. As a matter of fact, her son is close friends with Bumi.

Sokka and Hu Li started having casual conversations with each other. Later, they would find a place to eat while waiting for their young ones to finish practice. Eventually, they're conversations got deeper. He would express his feelings of loneliness to her, and she would vent about how unsatisfied she feels in her marriage. That is when a relationship formed. What started off as an emotional relationship turned sexual also, until Sokka finally ended it.

"I just couldn't be with her anymore. Yes, we had happy times and the sex was good, but I would see her with her kids. I remember attending one of Bumi's competitions, when her son Ronin won first place that day. His family was so proud of him. Hu Li was smiling, tears in her eyes, arms around her proud husband with their daughter sitting on his shoulders. They were a happy family. Yet, the husband has no idea of his wife's infidelity, and the kids do not know their mother was having an affair."

Sokka stayed quiet for a second, until speaking in his shameful tone again, "And what would Bumi think of me? It's like I had different purposes for dropping Bumi off and picking him up. It's like I was taking advantage of him too."

Zuko noticed how Sokka regretted that relationship through his tone. It was definitely not something to be happy with at all, playing with another family and taking advantage of loved ones. Luckily, Zuko felt relieved that Sokka finally took full notice on the error of his ways.

"Well Sokka. I'm glad you finally realized how damaging it may be, whether betrayal is noticed or not. And I'm glad you ended it, because things could have got ugly."

"Thanks Zuko." Sokka was glad to have told Zuko about this relationship. He was the only person that knew. Obviously, Zuko was against it the first time Sokka mentioned of it. He couldn't blame him, but Sokka just couldn't help but continue his relationship at the time. Zuko, running out of ways to convince him out of it, had no more options except for hope that Sokka will realize the consequences of his actions. Anyway, Zuko knew of Sokka's intentions at the time.

"I know exactly why you chose to pursue that relationship."

Sokka was not surprised that Zuko knew. It was probably obvious.

The Firelord spoke again, "It's cause she reminds you of Suki doesn't she? Light purples eyes, auburn hair, vanilla skin, and a charming personality."

Yep, it was obvious. "You're right Zuko... You're right."

"Well like I said, I'm so glad you finally took the mature choice and ended that relationship. You prevented the possibility of ruining a family."

"I'm glad I ended that relationship too," Sokka continued. "I mean, I was lonely, and I always let that get the best of me. In my late twenties, I wanted to be loved again. I would focus on meeting new girls, dating and all that. Never felt content. Then, once I turned thirty, I realized I needed sex. I still dated and slept around, yet no satisfaction, except for the physical enjoyment of sexual intercourse and oral sex. Oh yeah and that threesome I had! Wow I'm the man aren't I? I should totally respect myself." Sokka clearly didn't respect himself. Surely, falling into the temptation of women turned into a habit for quite awhile. Being an attractive man at his age, opportunities for temptation sure lingered around him.

"If it makes you feel better Sokka," Zuko added. "Counting up all the woman you've slept with, should be less than twenty right? Not that much compared to some douche bags around here. You're not a total man whore."

Sokka looked at the Firelord with an annoyed look. His best friend sure did not have quite the most comforting comments.

"Anyways," Sokka continued again. "What I'm saying is, I can get pretty lonely sometimes. I can really use someone to love. Why is it so hard finding the right woman? You would expect me to be happily married and have a child by now right?"

Zuko was surprised with that question. _Oh Sokka, you have no idea what Aang has told me_.

Noticing the Firelord giving no answer, Sokka answered for himself, "Just what I thought, the answer is no." He took a deep breath and looked at the empty plate in front of him.

Now it was Zuko's turn to speak. "Look, I know your life may seem like a cabbage cart spiraling out of control..."

_Oh great, another genuine analogy. _Zuko definitely does not possess the same unique trait as his uncle, but Sokka listened anyway, anxious to see what his best friend has to say.

"But you have to take your mind off of things that do not matter much, and focus on things that actually do matter. When was the last time you talked with your sister?"

Sokka thought to himself, _Wow, I haven't talked with Katara in awhile._

"And Sokka, what about your nephews and nieces, and Lin too? When was the last time you actually had a meaningful conversation with any of them?"

Sokka again thought about it. _Oh man, maybe I have been neglecting them whenever they try to talk to me. But I was busy though. _

Zuko knew of Sokka's distraction lately, Aang has been aware of it and told him everything.

"Sokka... I know you want someone to be with you, but instead of drowning yourself in your works, why don't you talk with your friends and family more? Yes, it's good keeping up a positive image within the council and the city, and even the world, but don't let that dictate your life."

"So being responsible with my duties is bad? Is that what you're saying?" Sokka asked lowly.

"No no! Not at all!" Zuko made sure he wouldn't offend Sokka in this conversation. He tried to keep his tone kind and respectful. "I'm just saying, know that the people who love you want to be sure you're okay. They also want to be around you more Sokka. It's good that you're successful in your duties, but don't let your drive for success get to you."

Sokka all of a sudden froze at that comment. His mind flashed to a particular memory.

_"You let your desire for success take over you! You want everyone to know you're a great leader and you're captivated by the idea that people would look up to you and spread good words of you." _

_"All you care about is becoming a successful leader, and you're so preoccupied with your 'duty' that you don't care about your wife."_

_"It's hard being in a marriage where your spouse isn't willing to commit as much as you are."_

Zuko noticed Sokka's sudden trance, worried he had said something wrong.

"...Sokka? You okay?"

Snapping back into reality, given a headache and feeling offended by Zuko's advice, Sokka just couldn't be here now. "I have to go home and rest. Night Zuko." And with that, he stood up and walked away rather quickly.

"But wai-" Zuko didn't get to shout back at him in time. He was just as fast as a mongoose lizard.

_Darn it. Did not expect this to happen. And I still didn't get the chance to trick him into meeting Suki. Maybe Aang can help._

* * *

**So basically, what I'm attempting to do is have the wait for each chapter ranging from one to two weeks (maybe three if things get hectic with school). This is because weekends are the only times when I can write fanfiction. I try to write during school too but classes get busy, and I only have time to outline chapters. Also, any tests during the week may cause delays. As of now, I have a statistics and organic chemistry test coming my way and unfortunately, I have to put that above fanfiction first. What I'm trying to say is, during weeks where I barely have any tests, chapters are posted quickly. Weeks with lots of studying to do, updates may take quite awhile. But I do take my story seriously.  
**

**Reviews are awesome. Again, any suggestions are welcome, but please go easy on me haha.**


	3. Preparation

**Wow, depsite all the studying I have to do, I still managed to find time to finish chapter 3. =D**

**Like I said , I'm trying to keep the wait between each chapter to be a week. However, if school gets busy with tests or acitvities, sometimes it may take 2 weeks for a chapter to be posted (maybe even 3 weeks but hopefully that won't happen). I'll also post this notice on my profile, and I might post some updates telling if I have the chapter outlined/ready and possible release dates. Keep an eye out on my profile!**

**Now, on to the story.**

**Original characters belong to Bryke. Other characters belong to me.**

* * *

Evening is approaching. The sun sets over the island of Kyoshi. The sky is tainted with a light orange color, while the clouds have a shade of pink. The wind starts to blow, but the temperature remains moderate. This is the time where villagers finish their work and head home.

On a small hill, Lei sits on the soft grass and watches the sunset. Many thoughts flood his mind. Today is the day he visits Republic City for the first time. The day he visits other parts of his family he is not so familiar with. The day he visits his father, who doesn't even know he exists.

Suki had told him about her and Sokka's final interaction, though she never seemed to go in depth about it. All he knows is that his mother and Sokka were determined to stay away from each other, especially Sokka who yelled at her to stay away. Ty Lee had even told her that Sokka was not willing to see her again, no matter how much she tried to convince him. That is why Suki never told Sokka about Lei.

When he was a small child, Lei would ask about why he didn't have a father. His mother would tell him that sometimes, some children don't have fathers. As he would grow older and wiser, he would demand the truth from his mother. It was then when Suki finally told him the truth. At that time, Suki actually wanted Sokka to meet Lei. Yet, much to her surprise, Lei didn't want to. Growing up fatherless, he learned to accept that he did not need a father to guide him in life. His mother is already doing a perfectly good job at that task.

However, there are days when Lei notices his mother feeling sad. Lei would even have a hard time putting a smile on her face on those days. Now, with his mother claiming they are going to visit Republic City, he will not say no. He's doing this for his mother, and his mother only. Who knows, maybe she really needs to have a meeting with this man that Lei is suppose to call "dad."

"Shouldn't you be getting ready?"

Lei turned his direction to the delightful voice of his best friend, Jia. She has the looks of her mother, Ty Lee. On the other hand, her nose and hair color comes from her father, Haru. She is gorgeous, and Lei would always notice that.

"The ship leaves in less than an hour Lei, and you're just going to sit there? Get ready!"

"Oh chill Jia! I'm all packed, the stuffs in the house. I just need time to sit and relax... and think."

Jia knew exactly what's bothering him. She sat down next to the seventeen-year- old teen and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know you may not be so excited for this trip, but things are probably not going to be so bad. As of matter fact, it could probably be better than what you expect."

Lei raised an eyebrow towards her, not so sure if she is going to be right with that statement. "You really sure about that? I mean, what do I even say when I meet him? Honestly, do I even want him in my life?"

"Lei, come on. Don't judge so much based on what you read from newspapers."

"Well it's good he's successful, cause that's probably what he cares about. Oh and he's probably a womanizer too right? Why else would ladies be flocking towards him? Probably sleeps with them or something too. Just the type of dad I need in my life," Lei addressed bitterly and sarcastically. The only way he knows about his father is through newspaper articles, and he and Jia would eavesdrop over conversations his mother and her parents would have about him.

Jia cannot relate to Lei's pain, but she sure did understood it. Her and Lei have been friends since childhood. They would vent about anything towards each other. Many villagers on Kyoshi Island know Lei as a helpful, courageous, kind, and ambitious young man. To Jia, he was much more to her than that. He is the type of guy who always knows how to put a smile on her face. The type of guy who cheers her up when she's feeling down. The type of guy she sometimes wants to punch in the gut. Overall, he's the type of guy who Jia wants in her life forever. And in times like this, she wants to be there for him.

"Lei, I know this is hard, but you must give him a chance. We all heard stories of the "Great Sokka." I don't think he'll be the type who will brush you off once you both meet for the first time."

Lei's face softened as he listened to Jia's comforting words. He looked into her eyes, he always found warmth in those light gray eyes.

Jia continued, "You must be patient with him. Be kind to him. Get to know him a little and try to understand him. Even forgive him if you find the need to."

"Oh yes," Lei adds sarcastically. "I should definitely do the last thing you just said."

Jia rolled her eyes and let out a small chuckle. "Just remember what I said? Okay Lei?"

Lei let out a small sigh. "Jia, I really don't know. I'm going to try to do what you say, but I wonder if I'll let my negative side get the best of me. Seeing my estranged father might cause that."

Jia frowned. She knows how Lei feels neglected because Sokka never even came back to his mother after the big fight. He neglected his mother, and thus, neglected the son who was born almost a year after he left.

"But Lei, he never even knew you were born."

"So what?" Lei responded back with an attitude. "He just left my mom crying, and never came back. He might as well abandoned me. Clearly he doesn't care about what goes on in my mother's life, and he missed out on my birth. So why should I even accept him in my life if he never even cared for my mom?" He looked away from Jia and closed his eyes. "He is not the type of man I want as my dad."

Lei can be quite the hothead when he's angry. That's the side of Lei most teenagers in the village try not to initiate. Jia on the other hand, sees it as another form of sadness. This time, she layed her head on Lei's shoulder.

Lei gave out another sigh and spoke softly, "Jia, I'm sorry."

"It's okay Lei. I know you're having a tough situation to deal with."

Lei just stayed quiet. She is right after all. That is why he is not looking forward to this trip at all.

"But like I said," Jia continued. "Things could end up being way better than you might think. Give it a chance. If anything, I'm always here for you."

Lei looked back to Jia and smiled, 'Thanks Lei. You always make me feel better."

"Just like how you always make me feel better. And remember, you're doing this for your mom right?"

Lei stayed quiet, and remember his purpose for this trip. "Right, I'm doing this for my mother."

Jia smiled. "Now this is the true Lei that Sokka needs to know. Come on, you should get ready."

Both the teenagers got up. Lei headed for his house while Jia went to her parents, promising him they'll be at the dock right before he leaves. Lei still does not look forward to his trip, but he finds solace in knowing that whatever may happen, Jia is there for him.

* * *

"Clothes, check. Toothbrushes, check. Fragrances, check. Purse, check. Money... oh goodness, how could I forget the money?" Suki grunts as she rushes back into her room to retrieve an adequate amount of cash for the trip. She didn't know exactly how long this trip will be, but she hopes what she packed was enough. If anything, Aang and Katara would surely help her out.

"Suki! You ready for me to bring all this luggage to the airship?"

"Just a second Koji!" She replies as she counts up her money. Koji is her ex-boyfriend who's currently helping her pack. They were in a relationship for four years. He was from the Fire Nation colonies in the Earth Kingdom. Some years after the war, he came to Kyoshi Island with his brother to settle down and open a restaurant. Their restaurant had a great reputation for having the best salmon, tasty noodles, and well-steamed rice.

Suki met Koji while eating at his restaurant with Lei when he was about ten years old. The three of them would have a nice chat now and then whenever Suki visits the restaurant. Later, Koji would ask Suki to have dinner with him in the restaurant after closing hours, to which Suki happily said yes to. He provided her with a delicious meal; cooked salmon with pork chops over steamed rice. As they ate dinner, they would talk about their lives, including the good things and the bad things that happened. They found comfort and enjoyment with each other, and a relationship soon formed. The couple got really close, and Lei even got along with Koji really well too. He would soon live in the house with Suki and help take care of Lei. Suki and Koji seemed like they were in love, at least that's how the whole village would looked at them. They looked like a happy family.

It wasn't until four years later when things were going downhill. Koji had to make multiple visits with his brother to other locations for business. Since his restaurant became a success, he was starting a chain. While Koji was away on his trips, Suki would feel neglected, similar to how she felt about Sokka whenever he was away. As both the couples were apart, they began to lose feelings for each other. Finally, they broke apart. Suki continued raising Lei on her own again, and Koji soon found someone else. Nonetheless, Suki and Koji still managed to maintain a friendship, and she is thankful for that.

"Okay Koji, I'm coming!" Suki puts the cash in her purse and heads out her room, going over everything she packed in her head.

Koji could see Suki stressing to see if she had everything she needed. "Suki, you need to relax. You have everything you need."

"Sorry Koji, I just want to make sure just incase..." She pauses briefly before continuing. "You know, I'm afraid things might not go so well with certain people, and I don't want Lei and I to end up stranded with little money."

Sensing that Suki is thinking about bad scenarios, Koji did his best to affirm her that everything will be alright. "Come on Suki, you're just overreacting. You had a talk with Aang and Katara right? They seem like the type who won't leave you alone, even when things go sour between you and Sokka."

Suki felt a little bit comforted. However, knowing that she'll meet Sokka again gave her a little tickle in her stomach. Not exactly the good tickle either.

"I'm nervous Koji, especially for Lei."

Koji placed both her hands on Suki's shoulders and affirmed to her once again, "Don't worry. We both know Lei is a strong fellow. Hope for the best. And when things don't go as planned, both of you will get through this. Both of you are some of the strongest people I know."

Suki smiled and gave him a hug. They may not be in a relationship anymore, but he was still a good friend to her. As of now, she wouldn't want it any other way.

"Come on Suki, let's get everything ready for the ship."

Koji went to go fetch Lei's luggage from his room, while Suki proceeded to take some of her luggage outside. She then noticed her son who just arrived home.

"Lei! Where were you?"

"Sorry mom, just had to take a little rest and talked with Jia a little."

"Well come on! The ship is going to leave soon! Go on and get you stuff!"

"Yes mom," Lei groaned. He went inside and headed towards his room. He stopped in his tracks to find Koji gathering his stuff.

Lei's face did not brighten. Here is the man, who Lei looked up to as a father figure once in his life, trying to participate in that role again.

"Uh Koji..."

Koji turned to see Lei entering the room. "Oh Lei! I was just helping you bring your belongings to the ship."

"I don't need your help Koji. I'm perfectly capable of handling my own luggage," he says as he snatches his bags back from Koji and grabs his sheathed katana from his closet. He headed out the room, his backpack on his back with his katana sticking out, while holding another bag with his hands. He didn't bother saying another word to Koji.

Koji was hurt once again. Ever since his relationship with Suki ended, Lei would ignore him. He never even came to the restaurant even once. Whenever he would try to talk with the boy, he would only receive a sour response. It pains him, because he used to look at the boy like a son he never he had.

Lei walked out of his house and saw his mother again. "I'm headed out first mom. I'll meet you at the dock," he says as he continues walking.

Noticing the quick change in her son's demeanor, she concernedly ask, "Everything okay sweetheart?"

"Yeah mom," he replied, somewhat annoyed. "I'll just handle my stuff and head out to the ship first. Jia is waiting for me there."

"Okay Lei, meet you at the dock." She watches Lei as he walks alone to the dock on the other side of the village.

Minutes later, Koji walked out of the house with Suki's last bag, a sad expression on his face. Suki noticed the look on Koji's face and puzzled together in her mind that Lei must have said something to him. She walked up to Koji and gave him another hug. "Don't worry Koji. Give Lei some time."

"It's been three years Suki," Koji replied faintly. "When will he stop hating me?"

"I'm positive he doesn't hate you Koji. You know teenagers, give them more time. Hopefully this trip to Republic City could benefit him." Suki smiled as she attempted to assure Koji. "Like you said, we'll hope for the best."

Koji smiled back softly, "Yeah, I guess you're right." He continued to carry another one of Suki's heaviest bags, leaving Suki to carry the light ones. "We should starting head towards the dock."

* * *

It took fifteen minutes to walk over to the dock. Suki and Koji could see Ty Lee and Haru waiting, along with a big ship behind them. It was the type of ship with a good amount of rooms to accommodate passengers on their long trips. Haru rushed over to their aid, helping them with the bags. "Here Suki, let me take this off your hands."

Koji added, "How about Haru and I take these luggages into the ship?"

"Sure," Suki replied. Both men headed towards the ship, Koji saying hello to Ty Lee briefly on the way. As both men were inside the ship, Ty Lee approached Suki and they both engaged in a small conversation.

"So, you ready Suki?"

"Not at all. Thinking about it makes me light headed sometimes. But like I said, I must do this."

Ty Lee smiled. Suki's reason for visiting Sokka is because she heard about Hu Li, the married woman who looked like her. Sokka trusted Zuko not to tell anyone, but Zuko had a talk about this with Mai since he was concerning over Sokka's choices. Mai and Ty Lee still keep close contact, and that is how Ty Lee found out. Mai and Ty Lee both thought Suki should know.

Suki still thinks of Sokka every now and then. Since he was in a relationship with someone that resembled her, there's definitely the possibility that Sokka still thought of her too. Plus, Sokka needs to know: he has a son. This is exactly why Suki decided to visit him. She never told Lei about Hu Li though. She could imagine the hatred for Sokka that would burst from him.

"Good job Suki. I know it may seem difficult, but me and you used to know Sokka. He'll come around."

"I sure hope so Ty Lee."

Ty Lee gave her a hug, comforting her. They were like sisters to each other.

Aside from discussing about Sokka, Suki went over what she plans to do in Republic City, especially what places to visit and what sights to see. Her first destination is Air Temple Island. Aang and Katara had a room ready for her and Lei. This would be the first time Suki see's the Avatar and his wife ever since her separation with her ex-husband. They would only keep small contact through letters for a short time, until the connection died off. It wasn't until recently when Ty Lee helped Suki contacted Katara. Her and Aang were surprised to hear from her again, and even more so when they learned about Lei. Suki had to explain to them the whole situation; her fight with Sokka and why she never told Sokka about Lei. Thank goodness the Avatar and the master waterbender seemed to understood, and they helped her set up a meeting with Sokka once Suki told them about Hu Li.

Both women noticed Haru, Koji, Jia and Lei walked out of the airship. Looks like everything is ready. As Jia and Lei said their goodbyes, the adults said their owns farewells to Suki. Each gave her a hug.

"Remember Suki," Koji reminded her. "Hope for the best. You'll be fine."

"You sure will be," Haru added. "Just know we are here for you," he says as he puts an arm around his wife.

Ty Lee, grabbing her husband's hand, assured her once more, "That is right. We'll never leave you alone Suki. Call us if you need anything."

Suki smiled contently. She was so blessed to have great friends. "Thanks you guys. I'm thankful for each and every one of you." She gave them each another hug.

Meanwhile, Jia had her last talk with Lei for the day. "You're going to listen to my command, right Lei?"

"Yes yes master Jia," Lei replied as he rolled his eyes. "Be kind, be understanding, and forgive if necessary."

Jia chuckled and gave him a small push. "Good job." She gave him a tight hug. "Call me okay?"

"Will do," he assured.

As Suki and Lei finished their farewells, Lei went over to hug Ty Lee goodbye while giving Haru and Koji handshakes. Suki gave a hug to Jia. After everyone officially said their final goodbyes to Suki and Lei, both mother and son walked into the ship.

"Have fun guys! Try and make the best of it!" Ty Lee shouted once more.

Suki looked back and smiled, giving her another wave. Lei continued walking, but stretched his arm up and gave a thumbs up for Ty Lee.

Once they were inside the ship and settled into their room, Suki talked to Lei about his feelings. "Lei, you're still okay with taking this trip right?"

Lei was quiet for a few seconds, but then spoke up. "Of course mom. It's a trip we must take." It was a half lie. He wasn't looking forward to this trip at all, but he knows his mother must meet Sokka again. Though he doesn't know why his mother decided to take this trip all of a sudden, he decided not to question it and let her handle the situation.

After the smalls groups of passengers were settled in, the ship began to leave the dock. It was going to be quite a long trip. They'll be arriving in Republic City in the morning.

Hopefully things work out for the best.

* * *

Sokka laid on his bed. It had just turned dark outside. He was not hungry, nor was he sleepy. The thought of what Zuko said to him at Hong's still lingered in his head.

_Don't let your drive for success get to you._

_Don't let your drive for success get to you._

_Don't let your drive for success get to you._

That phrase is the type that haunts him. It makes him think about the horrible event eighteen years ago. He got up from his bed and decided to head to the nearest gym. A nice work out could probably take his mind off of things.

After changing his clothes and right before he left the apartment, his phone rang. Grunting, he went and picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hey Sokka."

"Aang? What's up?" He was pretty happy to hear the voice of another best friend.

"Just wanted to invite you over to dinner tomorrow night. The acolytes will be serving a special for us. Plus, you haven't been on the island in awhile. Come on."

He could tell Aang was convincing him to come, and it seems he wouldn't take no for an answer. He was right after all, he hasn't been on the island in awhile. Tomorrow will be the start of a weekend, and he has no plans, so why not?

"Alright Aang," Sokka replied. "I'll come over tomorrow."

"Fantastic! Hey Katara! Tell the acolytes to start stacking all types of meat."

Sokka chuckled. Aang knew him well when it comes to food."See you tomorrow Aang."

"Looking forward to it buddy," he tells Sokka right before he hangs up.

Sokka is looking forward to it too. He needs to visit his arrow-headed best friend and loving sister more often.

But what Sokka didn't know is that Aang has something planned.


	4. Anxious Arrival

**There is a tiny of bit of lemon(ish) in the beginning. Lemons are bound to happen in future chapters though. Just a notice. ;)**

* * *

"Aang! Get up!"

Just getting out of the shower with nothing but her towel wrapped around her, the waterbender alerted her husband. "It's morning! Suki and her son will be here soon. You should get ready."

The Avatar awakened to his wife's demand and fresh new clothes thrown at him.

Aang groaned, "Uhhhh, Katara. Don't you think it's a little too early?"

"Better to have everything set up early. We don't want to risk our guests arriving before we have anything set up for them. We have to be formal," she replies as she looks in her closet for her own clothes.

Aang let out a small chuckle. He always admired that about his wife. She always knew how to provide warm welcomes to any visitors.

The Avatar got out of bed. He slowly crept up behind his wife and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her in the neck.

Katara, a little surprised by the sudden gesture, closed her eyes and let out a small moan. Out of all places, the neck was one of her favorite spots for Aang to kiss. As Aang continued kissing, he grabbed on to Katara's towel, pulling it off of her slowly. Arms around her bare body, Aang continued to places kisses on her neck and her back, causing her to moan even more.

The waterbender then turned around, placing her semi-wet body on her husband's bare body and her arms on his chest. She put her lips on his, kissing him energetically. Her hands traveled down from his chest to his sleeping pants, looking to shrug them off so they can both be naked. Suddenly, a realization hit Katara and she pulled her lips away.

"Wait! Aang what are we doing?"

"Having our typical love sessions, that's what we're doing," Aang replies as he continues kissing his wife, putting his arms back around her.

Katara pulled back again and laughed softly. "Aang, we have to get Kya ready for school and Tenzin ready for daycare. Then prepare for Suki's arrival."

Aang groaned. She was right after all, but he always pouts whenever an intimate moment with his beautiful wife did not get to finish, especially when they were both in the moment.

Noticing her husband's dissatisfaction, Katara cupped his cheek. "Don't worry, after today we have all weekend," she says charmingly as she twirls her finger around his bare chest.

The Avatar smiled. "So looking forward to it….. Hopefully we'll have some good alone time," he responded back with a similar tone.

Arms around him once more, Katara kissed him on the cheek and slowly put her lips next to his ear, whispering. "We certainly will."

She then pulls out of their hug and continues to go through her closet, finding the proper clothes. "Now go get ready! I'll go wake the kids."

Aang turned and headed towards the bathroom, though he walked very slowly. His eyes were still on his wife as she considers what to wear for the day. She was still naked.

Looking back to her husband and seeing the mischievous smile on his face, Katara rolled her eyes and smiled. "Go shower Aang."

Putting his arms up as he was caught red-handed, he replied back, "Okay okay, I'm going." He then walks into their private bathroom and closes the door, leaving his wife chuckling softly.

* * *

Once Aang, Katara and the kids finished breakfast, Katara went to clean the dishes while Aang brought the kids to the island's dock so they can take the ferry to the city. From there on, members of the White Lotus would take Kya to school and Tenzin to daycare, except for Bumi who prefers to walk to school by himself or with his friends. Aang was always thankful that Iroh sent members of the White Lotus to protect Air Temple Island. Usually, Aang or Katara brings the kids to school. On busy days, the White Lotus would take care of it. Today is one those busy days. Aang and Katara had to spend the morning with Suki and Lei.

Tenzin had to make a quick bathroom stop. Bumi waited for him and told his father and Kya to go on first.

On their way to the dock, little nine-year-old Kya asked, "Daddy, are we doing anything after I get back from school?" She always wanted to go somewhere after school on the last day of the school week. As much as she loves being around her friends at school, she also cherishes weekends where she does not have to worry about learning or homework.

"Of course we are Kya. We're having a picnic at the park," Aang answered. He knew Republic City Park was one of his daughter's favorite places in the city.

"Yay!" She screeched in pure delight, causing her father to laugh. The smile on his little girl's face always melts his heart. "Oh yeah, are our guests coming?"

Though Aang and Katara told their kids that they were having guests coming over, they never told them that these guests were they're aunt-in-law and cousin. That was something they were going to find out soon.

"Oh... They're not coming with us today, but you guys will be getting to know them."

"Alright daddy." Kya was absolutely fine with that. Since she didn't know these guests, she'd rather go to the park with just her family.

A few minutes later, five-year-old Tenzin came rushing down on his air scooter, only to fall over right before he made it to the dock.

Aang rushed to his son's aid. "Tenzin! You have to be careful son," he addressed as he dusted his robes.

"Sorry daddy. I want to master the scooter technique like you!"

"There's plenty of time to learn that son. I don't want you to hurt yourself okay?" He placed a small kiss on the top of his son's head. At such a young age, Tenzin was determined to become a wise, skillful airbender just like his father. As much as it makes Aang proud, he sometimes worries that Tenzin may put too much focus on accomplishing techniques rather than having fun. He is only five.

"Yeah Tenzin! Remember that time when you got that bruise on your elbow! Or that scratch on your leg! Haha, that was funny." Kya always liked to pick on her little brother.

"Be quiet Kya!" Tenzin retaliated. "You suck!"

"Nuh uh, you suck!"

Aang placed each of his hands on their shoulders, easing the tension before it forms. "Hey hey hey! No bickering!"

"Yeah you tiny little benders," Bumi shouts as he walks toward the dock. "Sorry dad, I tried my best to stop him for attempting the air scooter again. Didn't work."

"No big deal Bumi," Aang responded to his fifteen-year-old son. "You ready for school today?"

Aang was proud that his oldest son attended one of Republic City's finest school for warriors. Bumi, though having quite an eccentric side, grew up to become a skillful, maturing teenager. He did notice, however, that Bumi did not have a great interest in the ways of the sword.

"Ehhhhh, I don't know how I'll feel about sword practice after. I often feel more like a fighter than a sword master, honestly."

"It's okay Bumi," Aang assured, "Just keep your head up. You'll never know where you're interests would lead you to."

Bumi sighed. He's been practicing using a sword for years now, especially with his uncle. Sokka taught him a lot. Up to now, Bumi is quite skilled in many techniques, but he never felt the passion.

"Yeah, I guess you're right dad." He did take comfort in his father's words.

"Daddy, why do I have to go to daycare today?" Tenzin asked after his father finished talking to his older brother, "You and mommy don't seem busy today. The acolytes don't seem busy either."

Tenzin looks so adorable whenever he asks questions. Aang smiled and patted the little airbender's head. He bent down and explained to his son, "That's because mommy and daddy have important things to do with our guests. The acolytes will also be helping us prepare. Plus, Lin would love to see you too, won't she now?"

"Oh yeah! Can't wait to play with Lin!" If it's something that makes Tenzin excited for daycare, it's getting to see Lin.

Aang laughed lightly and ruffled his son's short hair. "Atta boy. Now, looks like you guys are all ready." He called the White Lotus over to escort his kids into the ferry. Before they went in, he hugged his two younger children. "I'll pick you guys up this afternoon, okay?"

They both nodded their heads delightfully and headed in the ferry.

Before his oldest son went in, he placed his hand on his shoulder and asked, "You think you can make it to the park after sword practice today?"

"Actually, I think I'm just going to miss out on practice today. I recently signed up for the wrestling club at school. I'm going to try to give that a shot, but I can definitely meet you guys at the park today."

Aang was surprised. His son seems to be taking a high interest in arm-to-arm fighting lately. No wonder why his sword remains untouched in his room. Nonetheless, Aang was proud to see his son was taking opportunities that suited his interests. "Alright Bumi, sounds good."

"Okay dad," Bumi responded with a smile, "I'll see you later today."

"Take care son,' Aang replied as Bumi walked into the ferry.

Once it left the dock, the kids waved goodbye once more on top of the ferry. Aang waved back, smiling. A minute later, he went back up the island to accompany his wife.

* * *

Lei stayed lying on his bed, thinking of what's in stores in his visit to Republic City. It's definitely not going to be one of the most fun vacations he ever had. Meeting parts of the family he never got to know was surely going to be awkward. He heard many stories about the powerful Avatar, the mighty waterbending master, and of course, the proficient warrior.

_I wonder what he'll think of me._

For almost an hour, all he did was stay in bed letting that thought remain in his head. Realizing that he needed to relax his mind, Lei figured he could use some fresh air. He got out of bed quietly as he noticed his mother still sleeping in her bed on the opposite side of the room. As he left the room, he proceeded down the corridor and up the stairs to the deck.

The temperature was warm. The air felt nice. No one else was on the deck besides him. It was still way too early. That's one of the perks of being a morning person.

As he heads towards the side of the deck, he put his arms on the railing and looked out towards the boundless ocean. For some reason, he couldn't relax his mind even though he hoped to. The thoughts of the events coming up gave him a nerve-wrecking feeling. He's going to meet the father he never knew. Aside from that, he'll also meet his aunt, uncle and cousins for the first time.

What confused him is the fact that his mother had recently told Aang and Katara about his existence, but wouldn't that mean Sokka would find out? According to his mother, Aang and Katara were going to keep Lei a secret until Suki is able to speak to Sokka. That's when Lei knew something was up. Sokka's best friend and sister are on his mother's side. Why though?

"I figured I would find you up here. You're always up early."

The seventeen year old snapped out of his trance and turned around to see his mother smiling at him. "Oh, morning mom."

The Kyoshi warrior approached her son and placed both her hand on his shoulders. "You okay sweetheart?"

"Oh just peachy mom! Why would I not be happy of seeing what's-his-face for the first time ever?" Sarcasm was clearly evident in Lei's tone.

Suki did feel a little disheartened about Lei's hesitation to meet his father, but she would always giggle at his remarks.

"You know Lei, you are just like your father when he was young. Always so sarcastic, yet managing to make people laugh."

Lei cringed. He loved that he can make his mother laugh, but he doesn't feel so comfortable whenever Suki would compare him to the father he never knew. "Oh... yeah... thanks mom."

If it's something Suki always seemed to notice, it was Lei always grimacing over the mention of Sokka or any subject related to him.

"Lei, I know you definitely have mixed feelings about this."

"Oh no mom, I don't have mixed feeling about this at all," he responded seriously.

"You... don't?"

"Not at all!" Pointing at his mother and widening his eyes, he claims, "I have negative feelings about this! Negative! Not mixed."

_There he goes again. _Letting out a small laugh, Suki continued, "Lei, why did you want to come with me then?"

"Well mom, you asked me and I know you'll like it better when I come with you."

"But you could have said no Lei. I would have been alright coming by myself. You didn't have to come if you didn't want too." Though it was true Suki wanted her son to come with her, she didn't want to make her son uncomfortable. Of course, she wanted to make an attempt to settle things with her ex-husband, but she also thought Sokka would have to meet his son too.

Lei turned around facing the sea again, his back towards his mother. After some seconds of awkward silence, he spoke. "I'm doing this for you, mom. I know you want me to be with you, especially in a time like this. And I know what's-his-face needs to meet me. But above all, whatever happens with you in this situation, I want to be there to make sure you're okay." He turned around to face his mother again. "Just like what you do to me."

Suki, standing there with tears slowly forming in her eyes, felt so appreciated. She quickly encased her son in a big, strong hug.

"Argh, mom!" Lei grunted. "You're crushing me again!"

"I'm sorry Lei," she says as she softens the hug. "It's just, you don't know how much this means to me." She then places her finger on her son's heart. "You don't know how much YOU mean to me." She hugs her son once more, sobbing quietly. Suki could never be more proud of her son. She was lucky that her child grew up to be so obedient, so caring. Lei has always been a blessing for her, and he continues to be.

Lei hugged back. Even though he always felt queasy whenever his mother had emotional moments like these, he knows in his heart that he will always be there for his loving mother. He's not letting anyone break her, especially a guy. Even if he was his own father.

After they separated from their hug, Lei noticed something in the distance.

"Wow, mom. Look at that."

Suki turned around, and there was the Republic City skyline slowly coming up on the horizon.

"Lei, looks like we're here."

* * *

Finally, after an hour, the Avatar and his wife relaxed at Meditation pavilion. Everything was all set up. One room in the women's dormitory was reserved for Suki, while another room in the men's dormitory was reserved for Lei. The dining hall was set up exclusively for Sokka and Suki's proposed interaction tonight. The acolytes will start cooking meals in the evening.

Mariko, one of the couple's most trusted acolytes, is in charge of everything. Aang and Katara both explained to her the situation with Sokka and Suki, and they told her about their plan to trick Sokka into meeting Suki. Mariko gracefully complied with the couple's plan, and she also promised to keep it confidential.

As they both sat in the pavilion, one arm around each other, they both thought about how events will turn out. Of course, they were both aware of Sokka's limited interactions with them so far. He seems to be focused solely on work lately.

"Aang," Katara finally speaks, "I'm worried."

Aang, looking at Katara with concern, gave her a kiss on the cheek and comforted her, "I'm sure everything will be alright Katara." He did admit to himself, however, that he wasn't a hundred percent sure.

"I just can't believe it," Katara continued, "We haven't heard from Suki that much since she and Sokka separated. And now, out of nowhere, she calls? And then we learn that we had a nephew we never knew of?"

Katara remembered that recent phone call.

_"Hello?"_

_"Katara... It's me."_

_"Suki?_

_"Yes."_

_Katara gasped. Her past sister-in-law and close friend actually contacted her for once. "Oh. Hi! How'd you get my number?"_

_"Ty Lee helped me out with that," Suki answered, "This 'telephone' invention is still pretty recent to me."_

_"Suki... I've missed you," Katara addressed solemnly. It's been eighteen years, and she never got to see her once since then. _

_"I've missed you too Katara," Suki choked._

_Katara could hear Suki's voice becoming fragile. "Suki, why? We haven't seen you after..." Katara paused, wondering if mentioning about the separation would make her uncomfortable, but she pressed on, "After that incident. We still kept in contact, but you barely seemed to respond. Whenever Aang and I would try to visit, you seemed to have an excuse."_

_She could hear a sniffle on the other side of the line. Still, she continued, "And then you barely had anything to write to us anymore. It led to the point where we stopped maintaining contact."_

_After a few seconds of silence and sniffles, Suki spoke, "I'm so, so sorry Katara," she cried softly. "I was mad, heartbroken, devastated, and I just... I just didn't want anything to do with Sokka that time." _

_She sobbed, but still continued, "And for some reason I still continued to have feelings for him. I also still wondered about how my friends are doing. But for some reason, I preferred isolation. I didn't want to be around anyone, especially if they had close connections with Sokka. I kept trying to explain to myself that I'll be okay without him, that I don't need him, that he doesn't want me anyway, and that I don't need my friends sympathizing for me. Then things got harder because... because..."_

_"Because what Suki?" _

_"I found out I was pregnant, Katara."_

And that was when Katara learned about Lei. She almost dropped the phone when Suki said that. It was definitely an emotional conversation. Suki tried her best explaining everything to her and why she didn't tell them about Lei. She mentioned Sokka yelling at her to stay away from him, as well as Ty Lee trying to get Sokka to come back for Suki. She did not want Lei to meet his father at that time, especially since Sokka and Suki did not want anything to do with each other. It was just lead to more complications and heartbreak if anyone knew about Lei's birth.

And of course, she mentioned how she planned to introduce Lei to Sokka years ago when he got older, but Lei refused.

Katara was dumbstruck throughout the whole conversation, from learning about Lei, to finding out about Sokka's relationship with Hu Li. At first, she didn't know whether to be sad or angry at Suki for not mentioning Lei. If only Suki had told Sokka about Lei in the beginning, things could have been different. Eventually, she tried putting herself in Suki's shoes and accepted her apology. Her situation at the time was most likely the cause of what influenced her to make a poor choice.

Aang was also blown away when Katara had told him everything. They didn't know what to feel about Suki. And when Suki mentioned Hu Li, they didn't know what to say about Sokka either. The couple surely were disappointed with the two.

"Katara," Aang spoke, "Trust me, I feel the same way. But now Suki seems to be stepping forward."

"I know Aang, it's just..." she paused briefly, closing her eyes and resting her head on her husband's shoulder, "It just feels too late to me. It's been eighteen years, and Lei is already seventeen. How much have we missed? How will Sokka react?"

Aang hugged her tighter, providing comfort. "It's never too late Katara. It may have taken awhile, but it's not too late. Suki is finally coming, with Lei. Things will be alright."

Katara stayed silent. _Will things really be alright?_

Aang could sense that his wife still felt paranoid about the whole situation, but he still attempted to assure her regardless, "Plus, we know Sokka. He would never turn away from Suki, especially at this moment." He put his finger under Katara's chin and nudged her to look at him. "And he won't ever turn away from Lei. I am positive about that."

Aang was right. Though they may not know what may occur, they are certain Sokka wouldn't turn away from this predicament. Katara kissed her husband softly, feeling more comfortable due to his assurance.

She put her head back on his shoulder, and they both laid there for what seemed to be ten minutes until Mariko came.

"Excuse me... Avatar Aang, Master Katara."

The couple turned around to see Mariko standing just outside the pavilion.

"Mariko," Aang giggled, "What did I tell you about addressing us like that? No need to be so formal."

"Sorry Ava-, Aang," she smiles as the couple chuckled at her overly-formal manner, "It seems that our visitors from Kyoshi Island has arrived."

Eyes widened, Aang and Katara stood up and looked out towards Yue Bay.

There was the ship. They are here.

* * *

**Other main characters in the Avatar universe will have important roles in the story as well. **

**The story itself revolves around Sokka and Suki, as well as Lei. **

**REVIEW.**


	5. Waiting for Dinner

**_Stayed a long night to have this finished. :) _**

**_By the way, I know how earlier in the story I made a note telling you guys that if you want to know about when each chapter will be posted, just check the updates on my profile. Well, now I'm not going to put those updates. The thing is, I don't want to tell you guys a release date and have you guys expect it, only to find out that something busy came up and I have to delay a chapter. I honestly didn't know I was going to have this chapter posted for the weekend. I just don't want to disappoint anyone._**

**_I'm just telling you guys to stick with my basic note: I'm trying to update chapters once a week, but it may take two weeks (hopefully not three) if school gets busy. Yeah I know I said that a bunch of times haha._**

**_But hey, if anyone still wants to know about updates, send me a PM and I'll tell you when I'll THINK a chapter will be posted. _**

**_Anyway, on to the story._**

* * *

_Wow, this city is magnificent. _

Lei never seen such a city in his life. This place is much more beautiful than it is in pictures. He can see the buildings of different architecture standing tall, the snow-filled mountains in the background, air balloons in the sky, and ships much bigger than the one he is on. He didn't even step foot in this city, but he can already feel the bustling energy. To his surprise, seeing this place put some excitement in him.

The ship's first stop was Air Temple Island. Suki and Lei were to be dropped off first at their destination, thanks to Ty Lee and Koji helping out with the pay.

Both the mother and the son watched as the island got closer. The island was well-defined in Air Nomadic culture, and the flying bison soaring around gave a nice touch. Lei never seen flying bison before.

Suddenly, he noticed his mother had her attention caught. She walked to the front of the ship and began to wave excitedly. Lei followed her to the front, and saw the figures waving back.

_Oh, my "aunt" and "uncle."_

"Mom, let's go get our stuff," he addressed his mother, somewhat sedately.

Suki turned to her son and complied. Both went to retrieve their bags, while Suki went in the bathroom to quickly change out of her sleeping clothes.

The ship was slowing down, and the horn blew. It made it to the dock.

After some more minutes, Lei can finally feel that the ship has stopped. He sat on his bed, his heart all of a sudden beating.

Suki came out of the bathroom in appropriate clothing for the day. "Sweetheart, you're not going to change?"

Lei could care less. It's not like he's on a date. More specifically, it's not like he's actually forward to meeting these people. "Nah, I'm pretty sure these clothes are alright."

"Oh, okay," Suki replies as she picks up her bags, "Lei can you help me with these luggage?"

"Yes mam." There were quite an amount of luggage to hold for two people. It's not like before when Koji was there to help. As they both walked out of their room, arms filled with bags, they proceeded up to the top of the ship and saw the beautiful island right in front of them. The captain lowered the ramp to the dock, and three Air Acolytes came to assist.

"Hello there. You must be Suki. I'm Mariko," she introduces as she shakes her hand, "The acolytes and I are here to help our welcomed guests."

"Thank you so much!" Suki replied greatly. Mariko and an acolytes took Suki's luggage, while the other acolyte took Lei's, but he insisted on keeping his backpack on him.

As the acolytes went back down the ramp, Suki and Lei followed.

Once they were on the dock, the acolytes headed to the dormitories with the luggage, while Suki saw the familiar faces she had been waiting to see. Katara and Aang had big smiles on their faces. She can't help but smile the same way too.

Having not seen these great friends in long years, Suki ran up to Katara, and Katara ran back to her. They both embraced powerfully, tears forming in their eyes. It felt comfortable to hug a close friend you haven't seen in many years.

"Suki... Look at you," Katara says delicately, "You're still as pretty as ever."

"I can say the same about you Katara," Suki replied fragilely.

Both women were the best of friends in their young years, and it felt great to be reunited. So great, that they find it hard to speak. As Suki and Katara fell into another hug, Suki also looked behind her and saw the other friendly face. A certain airbender that was a great friend too.

Once she finished her hug with Katara, she went to hug Aang. "It's great to see you again, Aang."

"Great to see you too, Suki," Aang replied.

As she lets go of her embrace with Aang, she quickly examined her surroundings and the past friends in front of her, a smile on her face. "Wow, how is it that the almighty Avatar and his master waterbending wife live in such a beautiful place, and both the couple managed to become even more attractive as they age?"

"Oh you know," Aang answers as he puts his arm around his wife, "Katara is just lucky to end up with a good looking, powerful man like me. Right sweetie?" He questions sarcastically with a grin on his face.

"Actually I think you're lucky to end up with me," Katara replies with her finger on his chest, "Oh almighty Avatar."

"Maybe that's right Aang," Suki added, "Is Katara's beauty an element you mastered yet?"

"Well," Aang replied, "We have three children."

Katara gave him a slap in the shoulder and the three laughed. They haven't had these types of conversations in awhile.

With the ramp already raised back up, the ship blew its horn once more and left the dock.

Aang and Katara noticed the young man waiting there.

"Is that Lei?" Katara asked loudly as she pointed towards him. She obviously knew it was Lei.

"Yes indeed," Suki answered, "That's my little boy right there."

"Little? That's an adult right there!" Aang replied in the same volume as Katara. They both wanted Lei to hear.

_Well, here goes my cue._ Lei walked from the dock to the couple and waved hello.

"Hi... I'm Lei," he addresses in the most casual manner he can think of at the moment.

Aang chuckled as her gave the boy a strong handshake, with Katara hugging him after.

"Look at you!" Katara says as she cups the boy's cheeks, "You are a fine, handsome young man."

The couple didn't want to say it, but Lei is the spitting image of Sokka. It is amazing to finally get to see this young man, yet heartbreaking to have not known of him for seventeen years.

"Uhmmm, thanks," Lei says, feeling awkward at the moment, but at least complimented.

"Feel free to make yourself at home, okay Lei? Our home is your home," Katara addresses. She has much to know about Lei, and she couldn't be any happier that she finally met her nephew.

"That's right," Aang added as he puts his hand on the boy's shoulder, "We're all a family, and we're going to treat you as the valued guest you deserve to be."

Lei shivered, though not too noticeably. 'Family.' He doesn't know if he's comfortable treating the Avatar and his wife as 'family' so far, but he smiled at the two and thanked them for their warm welcomes.

When their conversation finished. Katara volunteered to bring Suki to her room at the women's dormitory, and told Aang to bring Lei to his room. Everyone agreed and headed their ways.

On the way to the women's dormitory, Suki would comment on the island's remarkable features, with Katara thanking her. The island was truly impressive. Its architecture and design were truly brilliant.

Once they made it to Suki's guest room, they noticed that the acolytes already had everything set up. The room was well furnished, and the luggage was neatly organized.

"Wow, your acolytes are fast aren't they?"

"Yes they are," Katara replied, "Organization is one of their specialties."

As Suki started unpacking, Katara decided to help her while also starting a conversation. "So, how are you feeling right now?"

"Very welcomed, thanks to you Katara."

Katara smiled, though that wasn't the answer she was technically looking for. "Wonderful! Glad you will be enjoying you're stay here," she says warmly. However, she did notice the slightly faint anxiety that just appeared on Suki's face. "I really hope you'll be enjoying you're stay here Suki."

"I hope so too Katara," Suki states softly as she begins putting her clothes in the drawer besides her bed. "I would be lying if I said I'm not nervous though. If Toph was here, she would sense my heart beating rapidly."

Katara gave Suki an apologetic look. "Suki, I understand why you're so nervous, but have faith in my brother."

Suki's heart cringed. She had loved that man more than anything. Even if they haven't seen each other for eighteen years due to that horrible fight, feelings for him still remain. Does he even feel the same way? She finds it hard to have faith.

"Katara... I'm, I'm just scared. I managed to bring Lei with me, and I felt I made the right choice, but it's just nerve-wrecking. I don't know what's bound to erupt, and my son will most likely be involved."

"Suki, relax and take a deep breath," she addressed calmly before the Kyoshi warrior got emotional, "Things may seem tense at the moment, but I believe Sokka will come on good terms. When you told me about Lei, I was saddened and angry at you for not telling any of us about him."

Suki felt the guilt hit her heart once again. She had felt this guilt numerous times and admitted to herself that not mentioning about Lei will always be one of her greatest mistakes, but she listened to the waterbender continue with her statement.

"But I placed myself in your shoes, and I understood the predicament you were in. I may think that you could've done a better choice, but what's done is done and I can only look forward to the future. I'm glad your back Suki, and I really need to get to know Lei. If I feel that way, I guarantee Sokka will too."

Suki felt some solace within her. Though she was glad Katara showed compassion towards her even when she made a serious mistake, she knows this situation would be more tense when she faces her ex-husband. All she could do now was hug Katara. She could really use the warmth of a friend.

Meanwhile, Aang's conversation with Lei wasn't exactly a lively one. Aang tried his best talking with the teenager by asking him friendly questions and talking about his stay here at the island. So far the only words that would come out of Lei's mouth were "yes," "no," "nice," and "cool." It seems that he wasn't interested in anything Aang had to say.

Once they were in the guest room, Aang thought of any possible way to start a good conversation. "So the bedroom is well-equipped with anything you need. A nice soft bed, a drawer to keep all your clothes, a window with a perfect view of the plaza, and your own personal shower."

"Cool," Lei replied simply.

_Darn, can't this kid warm up to his uncle already?_ Aang just wanted Lei to feel comfortable, not only with his visit here in Republic City, but the people around him who are considered 'family.' While Lei tossed his backpack on the bed and began opening the drawer to put his clothes in, Aang noticed a katana sticking out of his backpack.

"Ah, what a nice sword you have there Lei."

"Oh thanks, my mom bought it for me when I was twelve."

Aang picked up the katana and noticed its sleek design. The blade was shiny and sharp with a nice curve, with its handle neatly crafted. "I know this design anywhere. Made in Ba Sing Se isn't it?"

Lei, suddenly intrigued with the conversation, replied back, "Correct. Kyoshi Island has some shipments from Ba Sing Se every now and then. My mom had a friend who knew a guy who gave us a special deal." The 'friend' he was talking about was Koji, but he didn't feel like addressing his name or even talking about him.

"It's a beautiful sword, isn't it?" Aang questions.

"Yes indeed. I fell in love with it when I first laid my eyes on it. I loved my mom more than ever at that time too."

Aang chuckled. An interest in swords and a sense of humor. This boy truly obtained his father's traits. "Maybe one day you can show me some tricks. You look like a real warrior. Please Lei?"

Lei smiled, this man isn't half-bad at all. "No problem, Avatar Aang."

"Lei, please," Aang states as he puts his hand up, "Just Aang."

Lei was surprised. This is the Avatar, master of all four elements, and he was allowed to address him informally. "Okay, Aang."

Aang laughed lightly and gave the boy a firm handshake.

Soon after helping Lei unpack the rest of his stuff, Mariko walked in. "Aang, Lei, lunch is ready. Suki and Katara are on their way to the dining hall."

"Thanks for the notice Mariko," the Avatar says as she bows and leaves the room. "So Lei, you hungry? We have chicken with garlic sauce and steamed rice ready." Though Aang is a vegetarian, he's accepts the fact that Katara had these types of food prepared for guests. This is the type of food most people like anyway.

"Sweet!" Lei exclaims, "I could use some of that!"

* * *

_Finally the weekend. _Having just wrapped up another council meeting, Sokka went to his office to organize his papers. He could really use a weekend right now. There's plenty of things to catch up on, including his friends.

The meeting went well. Potential shipments were expected to be exported within a few weeks, much to Zuko's happiness. The chairman tried his best not to have any awkward eye contact with the Firelord since yesterday's incident at Hong's.

"Excited for the weekend, councilman?"

Sokka turned to see Zuko at the doorway. Another typical scenario. "Geez Zuko, don't you ever knock?"

"Oh, uhhhhhh," Zuko stepped back, closed the door, knocked, and opened it again, "Excited for the weekend, councilman?" He asked with another forced smile on his face.

Sokka couldn't help but laugh. "Of course Firelord. We could use a break can't we?"

Zuko smiled back, glad that there was no tension between the two. "Yeah, we need time to catch up."

"Look Zuko," the chairman spoke softly, "I'm really sorry about yesterday. Don't think it was your fault."

"There's no need to apologize Sokka. Let's just pretend it never happened, deal?" Zuko asks as he stretches his arm out to Sokka.

"Deal," he replies, shaking the Firelord's hand.

"So, any plans for tonight? I was thinking you and I could check out the Cabbage Corp building to see if it's almost finished."

"Oh sorry Zuko, maybe we can do that tomorrow. I'm having dinner at Aang's."

Zuko's eyes widened. He remembered Aang telling him that he'll arrange to have Sokka meet Suki this week. He didn't know it was today.

"Zuko, you okay?"

"Huh," the Firelord snapped out of his trance, "Oh, sorry. Just zoned out for a second, hehe."

"Hmmmm, zoning out weirdly right when I told you I'm having dinner at Aang's?"

_Uh oh. _"Uhhhhh..." the Firelord tried his best to come out with a lie, "Sorry, I zoned out because..."

"Aang is surprising me with something isn't he? He told you not to tell me?"

"Ummmmm... yeah! I'm not telling you though, could be roasted chicken probably." That was the only lie Zuko could think of.

"Well since you said it could be roasted chicken, then you might as well gave it away. I'm expecting roasted chicken tonight, regardless if that type of meat, or any meat, is against air nomadic culture."

_Phew, that was close. _Zuko thought as he attempted to laugh at Sokka's comment.

"Alright Zuko, I'll see you tomorrow. I told Toph I'll pay her a visit at the police headquarters before I head to the island tonight," he says as he puts the remaining papers in his drawer.

"Okay Sokka, see you tomorrow."

* * *

Lunch was delicious. The acolytes sure knew how to prepare a meal, and Suki and Lei were thankful that Aang and Katara had everything set up for them.

As Lei got up and went to the plaza to get some fresh air, the three decided to talk about their plan for tonight.

"Okay Suki," the Avatar spoke, "Sokka is coming tonight expecting dinner, which he will have. But what he doesn't know is that you'll be here. Once he gets off the ferry, Mariko will lead him here and that's when you'll come in. Katara and I will pick up the kids from school and spend the night in Republic City. We'll probably make it home at midnight. One of our most trusted acolytes, Mariko, has everything handled."

"Plus the kids like staying in the city late at night anyway," Katara added.

Suki smiled softly, "I am so excited to meet your kids. And Sokka... Boy, I just need tonight to come already so I can get this over with. I'm just afraid of the aftermath."

"Don't worry Suki," Katara assured once more, "Everything will be alright. You have us."

"Honestly Suki," Aang added, "We believe Sokka needs to have this confrontation with you. Even Zuko agrees."

Suki's eyebrows went up, "Really?"

"Yes Suki," Katara claims, "Sokka hasn't been himself lately. These past few months it seems that he's choosing to distract himself. We haven't really seen him that much lately. And also..." she pauses briefly before continuing, "I just couldn't believe he was in a relationship with a married woman. The woman who is the mother of my son's friend. This just isn't Sokka."

Aang placed a hand on his wife's lap, knowing how she feels about Sokka's actions. Aang himself feels the same way.

Though Suki is still nervous about tonight, this conversation shows that tonight's confrontation with her ex-husband is much needed.

"Just imagine how Bumi would react if he found out," Katara added once more.

"Lei would throw a fit if he found out too," Suki also added. "How about we keep this stuff away from the kids?"

"Deal," Aang answers as Katara nods her head.

Once the acolytes came to take their empty dishes away, the Avatar and his wife wished their luck for Suki as they left to go pick up their children from school. Meanwhile, Suki went out to the plaza to talk to her son about what's going on for the night.

"Lei, sweetheart."

"Yeah mom?" Lei answers as he sits on the bench overlooking the Republic City skyline.

"Sokka is coming tonight." Suki wasn't going to address him as 'his father' again to avoid giving her son an uncomfortable feeling.

"Actually mom, I'll be going out in the city for the night. I'll let you and what's-his-face meet alone."

"What?! Lei, you just got here! This city is humongous! How are you going to go alone?"

"Mom, don't worry," Lei assured her, "Aang and Katara have the acolytes giving us exclusive care for our stay here. I'll just take the ferry to the city, explore the place a little, and I'll be back late at night after you have your little talk with, you know, that guy."

Suki sighed. She was hoping her son would meet Sokka tonight too, but maybe it's best he wasn't close by at the moment. When Suki announces to Sokka that he has a son, emotions will arise for sure. "So you don't want to... see him tonight?"

"No," Lei answered as he took one deep breath. "However, I do think he should meet me solely. Just me and him."

His mother was surprised. Lei never really cared about Sokka, nor wanted to meet him since he was little. And now he's saying that he wants to have a meeting with Sokka alone?

"Lei, you really sure about that?"

"Yeah mom. It's better that way honestly. I should get to know my own dad, and see if I like him or not."

"Oh, okay," Suki replied. She admitted that Lei's plan is a smart one. Sokka should meet his son for himself.

"Well mom, I'm going to my room now to change into some clothes for the night."

"Okay Lei. You be safe alright?"

"Yep," Lei answered as he walked toward the male's dormitory. But before he continued walking, he stopped and turned around to tell his mom one more thing. "Oh by the way mom. When he finds out about my existence, tell him I said he should have the balls to meet me."

And with that, he went off into his room, leaving his mother taken by surprise with that comment.

After a few minutes, Suki went back to her room herself, waiting for the night and for Mariko to call her at the appropriate time.

* * *

"Alright councilman, spill the beans," the blind earthbender addressed as she stood up from her office chair.

"What beans master?" Sokka questioned sarcastically as he sat on the couch right beside her desk.

"Zuko paid me a visit last night, and told me something you never told me before," Toph stated with a faint smirk on her face.

"Wha-what?" _Oh no, please don't tell me that scar-faced Firelord blurted out something that wasn't meant to be said. Please don't tell me Toph knows about Hu Li._

"You had a threesome before! Almost three years ago in fact, and you never told me!" The blind earthbender exclaimed.

"Oh... that," Sokka said as he faked a laugh. _That Firelord better make sure he keeps his mouth shut tighter. _"Sorry I haven't told you about that haha. You know my life gets busy and I didn't have the time to discuss my sexual escapades."

"Uh huh, alright. So, tell me about it playboy. How was it like? How old were they?" Toph questioned with a grin.

Toph was also a best friend to him, much like Aang and Zuko. This powerful earthbender is like a sister to him. The thing with Toph, she also has certain traits about her that made her appear to be the brother he never had. She was never a typical girly woman, and Sokka always liked that about her. He can talk with her the way any guy can talk with their guy friends.

"Well let's see, both those women were actually in their early 30s as a matter of fact," Sokka claimed, "They were single and ready to mingle. Had some pretty good bodies for a couple of 30-something year-olds. We met at a party at Chin's hotel thrown by Cabbage Corp. After a few dances and drinks, we booked ourselves a room and had some conversations. They told me I was really handsome, and started feeling my arms."

"Oh boy, let me guess, you're ego got in the way that moment," the blind earthbender claimed knowingly.

"Well I mean if they were impressed with my physique, I had to show em you know?" Sokka replied back in a pretended cocky tone, "I took off my shirt, let these women feel my pecs and my abs. Next thing you know, they both stripped fully naked and boom, threesome initiated. I was sitting on the edge of the bed with one woman licking my neck and the other one unzipping my pants and sucked my p-"

"Hey hey hey! I don't need to know that part Sokka!" Toph interrupted.

Sokka laughed, "Well let's just say I was blown away at the moment. Then I finished off the other woman."

"Oh you little man-whore," Toph comments as he chuckled.

When it comes to the woman he's slept with, Sokka described many of the scenarios to Toph. She was chill and laid-back, unlike Aang or Zuko who are more likely to judge.

"Yeah, and... that was how that night ended. Got up early in the morning and just left the two sleeping in the room, while I just went home and laid on my bed..." the Water Tribe councilman stated faintly.

Toph noticed his change of tone. First he was excited, bragging about how he scored two women at the same time. Any guy would. However, now he seems that he isn't so proud of that. Then again, only arrogant men would be proud of that type of action.

"You okay Sokka?"

"You know Toph... I guess you can say my hormones took over for the night. Not my heart. Well... never my heart."

Toph understood. Ever since his nasty break up with Suki, Toph noticed Sokka was not exactly the respectable warrior all his friends knew him during their youth. She noticed how Sokka spent lots of time managing world peace, and soon starting looking for love. He did manage to accomplish many tasks throughout the world, of which Toph is proud of. But love was something he didn't find.

Now is one those moments when Toph would stop pretending to be one of those guy friends Sokka always wanted, and started making real sense

"Look, Sokka. You are a really successful man. Based on what people say, you're really good looking too, but I don't know what you look like so I can't judge," she joked briefly, allowing Sokka to laugh momentarily before continuing, "But just watch yourself. Watch what path you pursue and what actions you take. When I was pregnant, I was left for another woman."

Sokka always felt guilty whenever he thought about Toph being left by that fool. He was a no-great scum who didn't deserve an amazing woman like Toph. What type of idiot would leave his girlfriend when she's pregnant?

Yet another reason why Sokka felt guilt was how he compared this situation to his previous relationship with Hu Li. How would her husband feel if he ever found out Hu Li would have left him for Sokka?

"However," Toph continued, "I moved on. I wish I never got myself involved with that bastard, but I also had the most amazing daughter ever. She is what gets me through in life. She is the reason why I don't make poor choices. I think of her, and then there's a reason to smile."

Sokka smiled himself. He was so proud of Toph. She raised Lin all be herself and did an amazing job. She is strong, not in her bending, but her heart too. Yes, she may have made some mistakes in the past and ended up with the wrong person, but she vouched never to make any mistakes again. She could be who she wants to be, who she needs to be, and no man can tell her otherwise.

This is what Sokka admires so much about her. He went up to her, encased her in a warm hug and spoke softly to her, "My goal in life is to be as incredible as you."

"Please, I'm one of kind," Toph states playfully, allowing Sokka to chuckle. "But I believe you can end up the same too. Promise me, you choose the path your heart tells you to. Not your hormones, not your ego, not your brain, but your heart. Alright?"

Sokka looked at her blind eyes, and she could also feel his gaze upon her.

They may not have any romantic feelings for each other, but they do love each other as great friends and help each other through harsh times. Sokka was there for when that man left her. More importantly, he was there to raise Lin. Sokka helped Toph through her toughest moments in life, and now it's time for Toph to do the same.

"Promise me Sokka?" She asked once more.

"I promise," Sokka stated.

"Good," she says as the separated from their hug. "Well I should really get going now. It's getting dark. Poor Lin had to spend a long day in daycare today due to my busy work. I have to make it up to her tomorrow."

"Oh yes, go get Lin! I have to go take my boat to Aang and Katara's place for dinner."

"Sounds nice," the blind earthbender says as they left the office. "Well, I'm on my way now. Tell twinkle-toes and sugar queen I said hi. Later!"

"Later Toph," Sokka chuckled.

* * *

The city lights began to illuminate. It is now night time.

The chairman of Republic City took his seat on the top of his private boat and sets sail towards Air Temple Island. On this short fifteen-minute ride to the island, Sokka thought about his promise to Toph.

As of now, his heart is with his friends. His family. He needs to catch up with his friends more. He needs to see his sister more. He should bring the kids places. He should even go to the Southern Water Tribe to visit his dad.

_Yeah. All I need are my friends my family. I don't need any woman in my life at the moment. I should stop searching, and focus more on what truly makes me happy. Thanks Toph._

Once he approached the island, he stopped his small boat at the dock and lowered the ramp. He proceeded down his boat and then headed up the stairs of the island. As he approached the plaza, he saw Mariko waiting there.

"Good evening Councilman Sokka," Mariko welcomed him warmly.

"Oh hey Mariko."

"I'm here to escort you to dinner. Shall we head?"

"Oh...sure," Sokka said, somewhat confused. Out of all the times he came to the island, he never had an acolyte escort him.

On their way to the dining hall, he was surprised that the whole place seems quiet. No acolytes talking, no children screaming. Finally, they made it to the dining room. The room was neatly lit with some candles, though the lights of Republic City were enough to brighten up the room. Sokka could see the delicious roasted chicken Zuko hinted of sitting on the table. However, there were only two plates.

"Mariko, where is everyone?"

"Just take your seat Councilman Sokka," Mariko addressed, "I'll be back shortly."

"Okay..."Sokka took his seat and watched Mariko stepped out of the room, closing the door. He refused to eat until everyone came. He found it be really strange that Aang, Katara and the children were not at the dining hall yet. He didn't even see the children playing around outside. Out of all the times he visited Air Temple Island, why does it seem so quiet today?

Finally, after five minute, the door opened.

Sokka froze at the familiar figure stepping into the room.

_Suki..._

* * *

_**One last note:**  
_

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	6. For The First Time

"Suki..."

"Hello... Sokka."

This is when Sokka knew. _Everyone had this planned, didn't they?_

Awkward tension filled the air. The silence in the dining table was surreal. Hearts were beating rapidly. For the first time in eighteen years, Sokka and Suki finally caught sight of each other physically.

Of course, Suki still saw pictures of him in the newspaper every now and then. He was even more handsome than he was in the pictures. She can see his muscles and good physique outlined through the slim shirt he was wearing. This man was always easy on the eyes, especially for her.

Sokka, on the other hand, never even seen her once ever since he left Kyoshi Island that day. However, seeing her here right now wearing a simple light green dress, auburn hair falling right above her shoulders, and her purple eyes staring right into him, Sokka knew one thing: _This woman is just as beautiful as when I first saw here._

Suki walked slowly to the table. Even though she is still nervous and feels uneasy, at least the conversation started. She took the chair on the opposite side of the table that faced Sokka directly and sat down, speaking to him, "It's nice to see you again."

He was speechless. There was no words he can think of to say. This was a sudden surprise. Had he knew he was going to see Suki again, he would have practiced his emotions for this meeting. Yet, there was one thing he knew he can say first, "It's nice to see you again too, Suki." It wasn't a lie of course.

Suki smiled nonetheless, and was happy to see Sokka smiling too. This meeting so far had a good start. Now it's time for her to find something interesting to talk about to prevent any awkward silences.

"I can't believe you're the chairman of the council," Suki claimed enthusiastically, "This whole nation probably bows down to you."

The chairman himself chuckled lightly. Boy, he missed that charming voice so much. "Oh it could be bitter work sometimes, but you know, I'm just trying my best to help keep this nation and the rest of the world intact."

"You seem to be doing a good job Sokka," Suki replied happily, "The Avatar and the Firelord better watch out. They started this nation and who knows, the chairman will probably take over."

"Haha, maybe you're right Suki. The Avatar is too busy babying the new bison herd he found while the Firelord still tries to gain more honor. Typical."

Both the chairman and the Kyoshi warrior laughed. Eighteen years, and they can still have a normal conversation. One with smiles and laughter. Better to have started off the night this way. They both decided to eat dinner together, using forks and knives to cut pieces of the roasted chicken on the center of the table to eat with their separate plates of rice.

"So Suki, tell me about you. How's Kyoshi Island?"

"The island's going great! Thanks for asking! I'm still a warrior. I'm still teaching young ones. Ty Lee helps me a lot. And of course, I have Le-" Suki paused right before she finished the last part of her sentence, while also noticing Sokka raising an eyebrow to what Suki was trying to say. This wasn't the right time to mention Lei. Not yet. "I have lots of teenagers and young kids to teach. Great to see some business at the dojo."

"Really now?" Sokka was intrigued. Honestly, he's glad to know Suki herself is on a good path. "That's great!"

"Yes indeed," Suki adds, "And the island as a whole is doing quite well too. Of course, we don't have an actively booming economy like Republic City, but trade and tourism helps out the island quite a lot. Doesn't really matter that much to me though, people like Ty Lee and I like to stay around the villages or by the beach."

"Ah, nice to see the island is doing fairly well, and good to know you're still enjoying life there too."

"Yeah, but it's the important things that makes my life enjoyable," Suki says as her eyes drift off.

Noticing his ex-wife zoning out, Sokka knew exactly what she meant, "Being around your family and friends is what's important. Doing your job is what's important. It's what makes life meaningful, right?"

"Right Sokka," Suki quietly answers, a small smile on her face. _Lei made my life so meaningful._

As they both finished up dinner, Suki decided to stir the conversation a little before Sokka had to get up and leave. She wanted to have this conversation go somewhere. Just the anticipation of this one night had her mind going insane for the past few days. It was time to get deeper.

"Sokka... I missed you so much."

Sokka looked at Suki, then back to his plate. Taking a deep breath and closing eyes. "I missed you too Suki, I really do."

Suki placed her hand on his, getting ready for what's to come for this conversation. "I think we need to talk..."

"What do you want to talk about Suki?" Sokka asked quietly.

"There's lots of thing we need to catch up on each other's lives, I know, but, I..." Suki paused, not feeling strong enough to address what she wanted to say. Yet, she still saw Sokka looking at her, anxiously waiting for what she had to say, so Suki persisted, "I want to know, if you still have feelings for me."

Now it Sokka's turn to pause in this conversation. He froze seeing Suki walking into the dining table, now he froze again with that statement. He really didn't know how to respond. Of course he missed her, but what good will this make? Things ended sourly last time, and he doesn't want another event like that to happen. He's dealt with sadness and depression for a long time, and he can't have those dark times come back to him. Plus, he had a reason for leaving Kyoshi Island eighteen years ago anyway.

Finally, after an awkward silence and leaving Suki nervous for what he had to say, Sokka finally spoke, "Suki, it was a mistake for you to come here."

Suki's mouth dropped slightly, her hand taken back from Sokka, "What? Why?"

Sokka closed his eyes once more, trying to find the proper tone to address this situation that was forming. "You're only going to complicate things more, Suki."

Tears were starting to form in her eyes, but she tried her best to hold it back. "Sokka, what are you talking about? I traveled all the way from Kyoshi Island to see you. I traveled a long way!" Her voice began to quiver, and a tear dripped from her eye, "And here you are, telling me that I'm wrong to have come here? To have come see you?"

Seeing the pain in his ex-wife's eyes always pierced Sokka's heart. She is still so beautiful when she cries. Sokka turned his head slightly, avoiding contact with her eyes that hit him strongly enough. He spoke, "Suki, I missed you so much too, but we had enough heart break didn't we?"

The Kyoshi Warrior didn't know how to respond. Yes, her heart was broken fully ever since their separation, but she still thought of the possibility of her and Sokka reconciling. Now, this night is their chance, and she is deeply saddened by the fact that Sokka wouldn't accept it. "Sokka, it's been eighteen years. I have a lived a life and I thought I moved on from you," she claims as she let the tears slowly fall, "But I was wrong. You still stay on my mind every now and then. It's especially hard to forget you when..."

Noticing her pausing again, Sokka looked at her with sharp eyes, "When what Suki?"

_When Lei looks just like you. _"When I see you around the newspapers or hear of you through tourists. No matter what, I can't get you off my mind when there's something or someone constantly reminding me of you."

"So is that my fault Suki?" He shouted. "You said you would find someone better than me? Did you?"

Suki was hurt and offended by the sudden attitude given by her ex-husband. She was about to mention Koji in retaliation, but decided not to add more turmoil to the already heated conversation. Looks like Sokka remembered that awful day as vividly as she did. "That shouldn't matter right now Sokka."

"And what's suppose to matter? Me and you?" Sokka yelled, "Cause let me tell you, you mattered to me more than anything. Yet, you couldn't accept my duties. If I took you back into my life, what's going to happen next? Are you going to complain about how I spend too much time at the council fixing the world, and not spending time with you? Oh yeah, and let me guess, I crave success, right?"

Suki was surprised with Sokka's anger at moment. He's using her words she said to him eighteen years ago, and is throwing it back in her face. She wanted to yell at him, about how much she's hurting too. She knew Sokka was a great man and wanted to help the world, but she also knew Sokka overdid it to the point where he focused solely on enhancing his image to people. She wanted to argue that his proposed priority was what contributed to their marriage crumbling apart. Yet, she had a feeling that if she continued to defend herself, a similar argument to the one they had eighteen years ago would have unfolded. All she could do right now was just sit there, eyes down and tears dripping continuously.

When he noticed his ex-wife had nothing else to say, that's when he figured the conversation should end. Tears were forming in his eyes too, but he won't let them fall. At least he'll try not to let them fall. "I'm done for the night Suki," he addressed quietly as he got up and headed out the dining table.

"And where are you going now?" Suki yelled as she got up herself, her voicing shaking tremendously. "You're just going to leave me again? Even after I traveled all this way just to see you?"

Sokka stopped in his tracks and bothered not to turn around to face her. He knows that if he see's Suki crying, his heart will break even more that it already did. "Suki," he spoke calmly, "I can't be here right now."

"Why, so you can just continue on with your life without me? And if I can't accept it, then I can just stay out of your way? Is that it?" She shouts furiously. Now it was her turn to throw Sokka's words back in his face.

Trying his best to avoid this situation before having an emotional meltdown, Sokka proceeded to walk away. As he opened the door out the dining table, he heard Suki spoke once more.

"Because I can't not be around you Sokka..." She spoke quietly, her voice still quivering, "I can't handle the heartache," she proclaims as she sniffles, "I need you."

Sokka turned around to look at her, his face filled with sorrow and a tear falling out of his eye. His ex-wife was looking back at him, trails of tears on her cheeks and overall sadness on her face. She is so beautiful, so meaningful, and Sokka just wanted to walk up to her, hold her and kiss her forcefully.

_No, I can't. I can't risk another heartbreak with her, especially when I tried my best to heal._

"I'm, sorry Suki," he says as he leaves the dining room, shutting the door.

Again, he left the woman he loved crying by herself.

* * *

The kids always loved riding a hot air balloon over the city. Having been used to riding on sky bison, especially Appa, they were never afraid of heights. Republic City looks amazing from the sky, especially at night. Its bright lights illuminate the landscape. The kids would try to pick out familiar spots from where they stand, while Aang and Katara would hold each other's hand and absorb the breathtaking view.

"Mommy, daddy, look! I'm gonna try to see if I can see our guests from here!" Kya exclaimed while pointing out towards Air Temple Island.

"Chill Kya," Bumi responded, "How would you even see people from here anyway?"

"You never know Bumi," Kya retaliated while sticking her tongue out at her older brother.

Tenzin was also looking at Air Temple Island. He liked to see the flying bison soaring around. Then, he noticed something, "Hey, look! That looks like uncle Sokka's boat!"

The whole family looked out and spotted the boat leaving the island.

"That is uncle Sokka's boat!" Kya exclaimed.

Aang and Katara looked at each other with curiosity. Katara whispered quietly to Aang, "I hope everything went well."

Bumi found it weird to see his uncle's boat leaving the island and noticed the exchanged looks on his parents' faces. "Is something wrong? Did uncle not know we're out for the night?"

"No son," Aang answered, "He definitely didn't."

"Awww, poor uncle Sokka," Kya spoke sadly, "He probably came to see us and was probably going to have fun with us."

"Don't worry Kya," Katara assured her daughter, "We'll see uncle Sokka very soon. We'll probably go out together too." That she knew would comfort her children.

After another half an hour, and noticing Tenzin getting sleepy and Kya yawning, the family decided to head home. It was safe to go after noticing Sokka's boat leaving the island. The hot air balloon slowly descended right by the port and the family took a short walk to the ferry.

However, Bumi still had plans for the night. "Mom, dad, I think I'll see you home in a few hours. I told Zhang I'll meet him at a new restaurant to have a late night meal."

"Bumi! This late? Why would you make plans after we had a family night?! " His mother didn't really feel comfortable about her teenage son being out in the city this late at night.

"Don't worry mom," Bumi assured his mother before he gets scolded, "I'll be safe. And the reason why I made plans is because you guys told me that it's best we stay out long so our guests can spend the night handling some business themselves, and you never even mentioned what business."

Aang and Katara gave each other a guilty glance. They felt bad that they had to lie to their children so they wouldn't know that they're uncle and long lost aunt-in-law had to have an encounter for the night.

"I think Bumi is old enough to stay this late," Aang added.

"Fine, but make sure you make it home before midnight okay?" Katara asserted strictly.

"Yes mom!" He answers as he walks his separate way.

Moments after, Aang, Katara and their two youngest children made it to their private ferry, with the White Lotus assisting them. As the boat left the port, Aang carried Tenzin who fell asleep and Kya went to sit near the edge, loving to see the city lights.

Katara talked quietly to Aang, not wanting to wake up Tenzin or letting Kya hear. "Aang, I really wonder if everything went okay."

"I hope so Katara."

"I mean, if Sokka's boat left the island, does that mean Suki went with him or something? And what about Lei?"

Aang had no answers. "Honestly Katara, we'll just have to find out once the ferry reaches our dock in ten minutes."

Katara let out a small sigh. "I'm just nervous for the both of them Aang. Like I wonder if Sokka found about Lei already, or what if Suki mentioned Hu Li."

"Yeah, I thought about that when Bumi mentioned he's hanging with Zhang for the night," Aang added. Zhang is close friends with Bumi, and is the son of Hu Li. It would be hectic if Bumi and Zhang found out about Hu Li's affair with Sokka.

The waterbender grabbed her husband's hand and placed her head on his shoulder opposite from the one Tenzin was sleeping on. "Whatever happened, I hope things didn't go too bad."

Aang kissed her on her forehead. He wanted to tell her that everything will be okay, but he's not even sure about that.

Within a few minutes, the ferry reached the dock and the family walked out towards their island. Once the couple and their children reached their house, Katara told her daughter to take a bath and get ready for bed, while Aang woke Tenzin and gave him a bath.

Katara told Aang to bring the kids to bed because she had check up on Suki. Of course, Aang complied and the waterbender walked to the women's dormitory. It only took a few minutes to get there because she was in a rush to see if everything went alright.

Finally, once she made it to the front door of her guest room, she knocked. "Suki? You in there?"

After a few more knocks and no response, Katara was about to head back until the door opened. There was Suki, tear stains all on her cheeks and pain evident in her face. It was clearly obvious that she had crying for a long time.

"Oh... Suki," Katara spoke silently as she grabbed her Kyoshi Warrior friend in an embrace.

* * *

Lei found this city to be quite amusing. Even at this time at night, many people were still walking around and lots mobiles were still moving on the streets. There are stores and restaurants that are open twenty-four hours, which Lei thought was crazy. At this time, everyone in his village back at Kyoshi Island would be asleep. He assumed that it's the bustling energy of this city that keeps everyone awake. The city lights and fast-paced energy is definitely preventing him from becoming sleepy.

He wishes Jia was here with him. He knew Jia would have lots of things to say while walking around Republic City, from its impoverished sections to its high class neighborhoods. If only she could be here right now, he wouldn't have to walk this place alone.

After much more minutes of walking, he noticed a sign across the street that read "Koji's restaurant." He could tell the place has recently opened.

_Well, looks like his restaurant chain is becoming successful._

Hearing his stomach growl, Lei figured he could use either some pork chops or smoked salmon at the moment. After all, that's what Koji's restaurants are mostly known for throughout the world.

Once he walked across the street and entered the restaurant, he was surprised to see the restaurant almost fully packed. It's surprising to see so much people this late at night eating, but then again, this is a big city, not a small village. Luckily, there were two small tables side by side around the corner of the restaurant that were empty, so the waitress was able to accompany him to his table. Lei already knew what he wanted to order. He went with pork chops.

While waiting for his meal, Lei noticed the waitress accompanying two other teenagers to the table right next to him. The two teenagers looked at the menu and were trying to discuss what to order. Lei could hear them talking at full volume.

"Bumi, what are you getting?"

"I don't know, there's lots of good options here."

Figuring out that the teenagers are completely unaware of this chain restaurant, Lei decided to drop in on their conversation, "Might I suggest either the smoked salmon or the pork chops. That's what this restaurant chain is known for."

Both looking at the teenaged stranger talking to them, the two teenagers nodded their heads.

"Hmmmm, well I guess I could really use some pork chops. What about you Zhang?"

"I think I'll go with the smoked salmon."

"Oh yes, great choices guys," Lei addresses as the three of them laughed lightly.

Bumi gave this teenager a curious glance, eyebrows pressing forward. Something about him looks familiar.

Lei, noticing the brown-haired teen looking at him, asked, "Everything okay there?"

"Oh, sorry," Bumi apologized as he noticed he was staring at the teenaged stranger unintentionally, "It's just... you look so much like my uncle."

"Oh really now? So is that a compliment or what?" Lei questions jokingly.

"I mean he's related to me and everyone in my family is good looking. So yeah, you're complimented."

The three laughed once more. Lei was glad to see there's friendly teenagers in the city.

"I'm Bumi by the way," the brown-haired teenager introduced as he gave Lei a handshake.

The black-haired teen also introduced himself, "And I'm Zhang."

"Nice to meet you guys," Lei responded happily, shaking their hands. "I'm Lei, from Kyoshi Island."

Both the black and brown-haired teenagers had their eyes wide opened.

"Kyoshi Island?!" Zhang exclaimed. "Dude that's so far away from here! Welcome to Republic City man!"

"Haha thanks dude," Lei responded, "It's a nice place here. Very nice."

Bumi wanted to know more about this teenager having found that he's from Kyoshi Island. He remembered his parents mentioning they've been to Kyoshi Island before, and they even had a Kyoshi Warrior as a friend. "So how is Kyoshi Island anyway?"

"Well it's nothing like Republic City, I can tell you that," Lei answered, "But it's a nice, calm place. We have some good mountains and nice beaches. And over at the bay we have giant elephant koi and a humongous eel called the unagi."

The two fifteen year-olds were fascinated with Lei's description of Kyoshi Island. A unagi? Both these teens were adjusted to city life, and even though they have visited places outside of the United Nations, they are still unfamiliar with the world around them.

For the rest of the night, the three teenagers ate their meals and talked about anything teenaged males would talk about, from sports to girls.

* * *

It was almost midnight, and Sokka just laid in bed, his eyes toward the ceiling. He couldn't sleep.

_Did I hurt her badly? _

Sokka did not want to be the cause of her pain. He loved this woman tremendously, but he just couldn't get back with her instantly like that. He just doesn't want to risk the chance of being heartbroken all over again. His days of crying and depression are over. He's an independent man now.

Besides, like he told himself, he had his reason for leaving Kyoshi Island anyway.

_She's still so beautiful._

Even though he would tell himself that he shouldn't be with her, she still couldn't get her off of his mind. Eighteen years of moving on, or at least trying to move on, thoughts of her would enter his head every now and then.

_Do I still love her? _

As much as he would tell himself that he's over her, just one sight of her and his breath is taken away.

_Does she still love me?_

Laying on his bed, he knew he couldn't stop thinking about her. She said she needed him.

_Maybe I need her too..._

Sokka got up, went to the phone, and dialed Aang's number.

No one picked up, but it was actually no surprise. Everyone is probably asleep at this time. Yet, Sokka still persisted. He dialed the number once more. To his success, he heard a tiring voice on the other line.

"Hello...?"

"Aang."

"Sokka...?"

"Tomorrow morning, do me a favor," he addressed in a serious tone, "Tell Suki that I would appreciate it if she comes to visit me at my apartment."

And with that, he hung up. He didn't ask for a favor, he commanded it.

* * *

**So for you guys who watch The Legend of Korra (hope you guys like Book 4 so far btw), you know Republic City as a really advanced city. Well for this story, just imagine Republic City as a really early 1900s New York City. Still a big city, but not much advances yet. For example, there are "mobiles" in this story, but they aren't advanced like the "Satomobiles" created by Hiroshi Sato. **

**Anyway, thank you so much to the people that are reviewing. And for those of you who are reading but haven't review yet, please do so! Any comments and even suggestions are appreciated and helps!**


	7. Revelations

**So sorry for the long wait. The past two weeks, I was plagued by studying and tests. So far, this was one of my busiest times this semester. **

**At first, it was easy to get updates weekly, but now the semester is getting even so serious and challenging that it affects my time.  
**

**Thank you so much for the patience guys. I hope you guys are still liking the story. Let me know how you feel about the story through reviews. :)**

* * *

Lei was surprised when he awakened to find that it was almost afternoon. Being a morning person, it was quite unusual for him to be waking up at a time like this. It makes him feel sloppy and unhealthy whenever he misses an early morning due to a long slumber. Makes sense though, he spent a long night wandering Republic City and making new friends.

He got of bed and went to brush his teeth. He figured a shower can wait, since he has no plans for the day.

_I hope mom is okay._

Lei shook his head, trying to suppress any negative thoughts into the back of his mind. There's no need for mixed emotions and nerve-wrecking feelings, at least not for right now. He had a good time last night, and he's looking forward to having more days like that.

After coming out of the bathroom, switching out of his sleeping clothes into a simple shirt and soft pants, he went out the dormitory to explore the island. Never before has he seen anything related to Air Nomadic culture, and here he is walking around Avatar Aang's home. Uncle Aang's home. This place had everything, a large main temple building, dormitories, a nice dining hall, a greenhouse, a library , and even flying bison caves. Not to forget the amazing view of Republic City.

While he was near the training area, he heard a familiar voice. Sounds like huffs and puffs, the same sounds he would make when he practices with his katana. Making his way to the open courtyard, he was completely taken by surprise to find out who was making those sounds.

It was Bumi, the brown-haired teenager he met last night. Here he is, practicing sword movements on the courtyard.

_What the heck? What's he doing here?_

Not only was Lei surprised to see him on the island, but he was impressed with his fighting style too. The way Bumi would slice the air with swift movements, the way his hands had a firm grip, the way his feet moved accordingly to his style, it was indeed impressive. However, one thing that Lei noticed was an improper emotion. Something about his facial expression showed annoyance.

Finally, after Bumi finished his routine and took a seat on the bench, Lei decided to clap his hands. Surely that would make him notice that he didn't even see Lei standing there watching him.

When Bumi turned to look at him, Lei laughed softly at his surprised reaction.

"Lei? What are you doing here?"

"Oh you know, just surprised by two factors. One, that you're here on this island right now. And two, you're a pro at fighting with a sword."

Bumi, still shocked to see him there, laughed along and gave him a firm handshake. It was nice to see him again. "So Lei, really, what are you doing here?"

"I'm visiting the Avatar," Lei answered, "My mom is a friend of the Avatar and his wife. They all used to travel together in their younger years."

Bumi's mouth dropped, "Wait wait, you're our guests?"

Lei, giving a confused reaction, answered, "Uh, yeah I'm a guest here. What do you mean 'our'? Do you live here or something?"

"I'm the Avatar's son!"

This time, it was Lei's turn to have his jaw drop. "What?!"

"Dude, when I went to bed last night after coming back from Koji's, I would have no idea you were sleeping right here at my home the whole time," Bumi remarked as he laughs, "What are the odds?"

"Haha I know! Sorry, I didn't know Uncle Aang had a nonbending child."

The brown-haired teen was then taken aback by his statement, not so much because he felt unknown to people, but mainly because of how he just addressed his father. "Did you just call my dad, uncle?"

Lei froze. _Oops, wrong timing._

Smiling shyly and scratching the back of his head, the older teen spoke, "Oh yeah, I'm not just shocked about finding out your Aang's son..."

Bumi lifted an eyebrow, really intrigued by what Lei had to say next. "So... what else is the cause for this astonishment?"

"...I'm your cousin."

Bumi's eyes widened. Awkward silence filled the air momentarily. He opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

"Bumi, looks like I have some explaining to do."

* * *

_Any second now... _

Suki stood right outside of her ex-husband's apartment, not wanting to knock just yet. Katara just comforted her last night after another heartbreak. Was she ready for what's to come?

Once Aang and Katara had dropped her off at the building, she was impressed with the exterior and interior designs of the place. Like many other buildings in Republic City, this one was very modernized. It seemed like the whole place was made of metal, but shaped into sleek designs. There were also many materials that resembled cultures of any of the four nations. She can tell this apartment complex houses a diverse array of residents, and her chairman ex-husband lives on the top floor of course.

It was thanks to the kind doorman that she ended in front of Sokka's door right now. She didn't know how to get to the top floor, and she had never ridden an 'elevator' before. Clearly this city is rapidly developing in transportation maneuvers like 'mobiles' and 'elevators.'

As she spends the last few minutes standing there, gazing at the door, anxiety would plague her mind. What events will unfold? What emotions will take place? She was shocked when Aang told her that Sokka practically demanded to see Suki.

_Come on, it's either now or never._

Her hand immediately went and knocked the door, as if she had no control over it. It was a fast reflex. Instead of just standing there and contemplate on what's going to happen, it was better to knock and get it over with.

After few more silent seconds, Suki knocked a second time. This time, she heard a slightly faded "I'm coming" response from the other side of the door. She took a deep breath.

Finally, Sokka opened the door.

"Hi Suki."

Sokka still had the same casual 'stay-at-home' appearance just like when they were married. He was wearing a simple sleeveless shirt and a pair of pants. Suki thought that maybe she could've worn something simpler instead of this blouse she had on.

"Hi Sokka."

"Please, come in," he spoke gently as he moved aside, gesturing her to come inside.

Just like being impressed with the apartment complex as a whole, Suki was also quite impressed with Sokka's apartment. Everything was neat, except for some unwashed dishes left in the sink and a few coats lying on the couch. The living room had a nice water tribe touch to it. It seems that the main colors was either light blue or periwinkle, from the furniture to the walls. In the middle of the room was a small table with the Water Tribe insignia on it, along with two couches on opposite sides of that table. Ahead of the living room was the dining area and kitchen, all connected. The dining table was large enough to feed six people, while the kitchen was small enough to keep everything organized.

Sokka watched as Suki examined his home. Judging by the small smile on her face, she seems to be liking his top-of-the-floor two bedroom apartment.

Suddenly, a thought jumped into his mind. If things go smoothly, will Suki be sleeping in the guest bedroom in his home? Or could things lead to the point where she falls asleep in his bed? As much as Sokka liked the second option, he decided to push those thoughts to the back of his mind. Now is not the time to be thinking of possible potential events.

"So..." Sokka spoke in order to finally start a conversation, "You like the place?"

Suki turned to him, a smile on her face, "It's a really nice place."

Sokka returned the smile, glad to know she has a positive comment about his home here in the city. Then he realized Suki looking curiously at some paintings on the wall.

Suki went over, smiling at a specific painting. One was a portrait of the Southern Water tribe, the other was a painting of Republic City, but the one that put a smile on her face was the painting Sokka made after they ended the Hundred Year War. It was the painting of all their friends at Iroh's tea shop in Ba Sing Se. She can't believe Sokka still kept this. Seeing her painted as a firebender because it makes her look more 'exciting' still manages to make her giggle.

"This has to be one of my favorite paintings ever," Suki stated warmly, pointing at the painting, "You always had a clever imagination when it comes to drawing."

"Oh is that so?" Sokka replied back sarcastically, "I'm surprised you weren't as weirded out as the first time you saw this painting."

"Well I'm not a firebender," Suki teased, "But I guess I'll let it slide because apparently I look more exciting that way."

Both the past Water Tribe warrior and the Kyoshi warrior laughed. It seems that they are able to start conversations with some small laughs and sarcasm here and there.

Finally, as the short laughter died down, Sokka figured that it's time to start the real conversation. "Suki, come on take a seat."

Sokka sat on the couch, motioning Suki to sit on the couch on the opposite side of the table facing him. Once Suki took her seat, Sokka continued, "I'm sorry about last night."

"It's okay Sokka," Suki replied as nicely as possible, "It was a spur of the moment. It was understandable."

Glad that she had accepted his apology, Sokka continued, "Suki, out of all times when you could have visited me, why at this time?"

Suki clenched her teeth, eyes looking down and hands folded together. Of course, the feelings for Sokka had always remained in her. Sometimes it was suppressed, other times it was stuck in the front of her mind. However, she didn't want to address that the reason she finally came was the thought of him possibly still having feelings for her because he had a relationship with a married woman who looked like her. Above all, Sokka had to know about Lei, the son he never knew he had.

"Suki...?"

Snapping out of her trance, Suki felt that she had to address the truth. In her mind, she apologized for the drama she could have incited for her friends.

"Sokka, you know I told you I missed you. You know I still think about you. I always wondered if you had these feelings for me too. The reason why I asked you if you still had feelings for me last night..., " Suki paused in order to take a short breath and continued, "Was because I heard of Hu Li."

All of a sudden, there was a long awkward silence. Suki tried looking away, her fingers fidgeting.

Sokka, on the other hand, was full of emotions. He felt embarrassed that his ex-wife knows of this. He also felt ashamed, because his regretted actions are now spoken back to him. He felt betrayed and angry, because he knows Zuko ratted him out. Now, who else knows? All he could do right now is bury his face in his hands, blocking out any hint of emotions that his ex-wife could probably see plastered all on his face.

Suki did what her first instinct told her to do. She went to sit right next to Sokka, placed her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder.

Sokka, uncovering his face from his hands, was surprised by the gesture. In a situation like this, why would his ex-wife attempt to comfort him? Shouldn't she feel disgusted? Because Sokka for sure knows he's disappointed with his past actions.

"Sokka," Suki spoke softly, "If anything, when I heard about this relationship you had, and why you broke it off, I felt a sense of hope."

Sokka, confused yet intrigued to what Suki stated, questioned, "What do you mean?"

"This woman. I heard she looks like me. I didn't think so positively at you for engaging in a relationship with a married woman, but the fact that I was told she reminded you of me, I felt hopeful. I thought to myself, 'Sokka does have feelings for me, I can't believe it.' Then, I was told that you did the right thing by breaking off the relationship. You were still the mature and wise man I knew. Once I heard about this, I just couldn't be patient. I had to come visit you. I couldn't stand living more years of my life wondering if you ever think of me anymore, wondering if you ever want to see me anymore, wondering... if you would ever want me in your life anymore."

This time, Sokka looked straight into Suki's eyes. In her eyes, he saw the feelings of want. He saw the feelings of need. Wanting and needing, him. Suki placed a hand on his cheek, and never before has he felt so much comfort. He placed his hand on hers, not wanting Suki to let go.

Suki continued, "Sokka," she spoke as her voice quivered and her eyes wet, "Tell me, please. Do you ever think of me anymore?"

After a brief moment of silence, Sokka spoke, "I never stopped thinking of you Suki."

And with that comment, Suki let a single tear drop down her cheek. That was the answer she wanted to hear. That was the answer she needed to hear.

As Sokka took her arm, nudging her hand away from his cheek and into his own hand, he continued, "No matter how much I try to move on, no matter how much I try to forget, you still plague my mind. I can never stop thinking of you even if I tried. I would always wonder how it'll be like waking up in the morning with you right there with me. I was so depressed, so alone. My whole life, it was like I lost the only woman for me."

He placed his forehead on hers, closing his eyes, yearning for the comfort with Suki he missed so much.

The tears on Suki's eyes were ones of happiness, and she wanted to cry, but she tried her best to be strong at this moment. "Can you win that girl back?"

Sokka looked in her eyes intensely, "Can I?"

To answer his question, Suki placed her lips on his. It was a kiss that used to mean everything to them. The power of this kiss was just as strong as the first kiss they shared at the Serpent's Pass when they were fifteen. As the seconds flew by, the kiss grew more intense. The feelings became so strong. They proved to each other that they needed each other.

Suki broke away for a short while, having to say something to him. "Sokka, please don't stay out of my life."

"I promise."

And they continued to kiss. Sokka kissed her passionately as he moved from her lips down to her neck, eliciting a soft moan from her. He missed kissing her. He missed it so much.

Suki grabbed the back of his head, holding his head firm in place while Sokka continued his kisses. She missed this sensation so much. So passionate, so loving.

This time, Sokka broke away shortly to say something, "I hate not seeing you all these years. I hate not being able to catch up on your life. I would always wonder if something amazing happened for you, and I'm not there to witness it. I always wanted the both of us to go through things together, from the ups to the downs. Suki, don't stay out my life either "

With that comment, Suki's intense feelings for the moment dropped. The feeling of sadness and guilt took over her emotions. Here he is, her ex-husband whom she yearned to finally reconnect, proclaiming how he never wants to miss anything important that happened to her and how he wants the both of them to go through things together. Yet, all these years, she stayed out of his life, and he did miss something important: the birth of Lei.

Sokka noticed the change of expression with Suki. "Suki, what's wrong?"

In response, his ex-wife turned and cried silently, shielding her face from him.

"Suki, what's wrong?" Sokka questioned nervously. He was afraid if he said something wrong, or if Suki felt something different from him.

"I'm so sorry Sokka," Suki told him quietly.

"Suki you didn't do anything," he stated as he grabbed her hands.

"No," Suki interjected, "I stayed out of your life."

"And so did I. That was our mistake."

"Yes, but mine was worse."

Sokka felt nervous and confused at the same time. "How could your mistake be worse? We both made the same mistake."

Suki took a deep breath, trying not to cry even more than she already did.

This is the moment. She had to say it.

"Lei."

That was the name she was able to choke out, while her ex-husband continued to look at her in confusion.

"Who's Lei?" he asked.

"Our son."

Another moment of silence.

This time, the tension was so strong it could easily be felt.

To Sokka, this was a punch in the face. Probably the hardest punch he will ever receive.

_Did she just say, our son?_

Noticing her husband's flabbergasted facial expression, Suki choked out, "I'm so, so sorry Sokka. I'm so sorry for not telling you I was pregnant. I'm sorry for not telling you about our son."

She grabbed his hand as he laid there frozen. "Please, I'm so sorry."

Sokka, tears forming in his eyes, didn't know how to respond. He didn't know what emotion to feel. Basically, a mixture of hurt, anger, sadness, and betrayal are all jumbled in his head and his heart.

All he knows is that he couldn't be around her right now. Typical.

He snatched his hand away from Suki's, storming out of the apartment and heading into the elevator. He had to be away for the moment.

Once again, Suki is left alone. This time, she accepted it. She understood how this would impact Sokka. As of now, she didn't have the energy to get up and leave. She stayed put, and all she could do is cry.

The same like Sokka, who was starting to cry himself while the elevator went down the floors.


	8. Contemplations

**Just to tell you guys, I have a big organic chemistry test coming up soon. It's the type of test that requires studying your brains off just to receive a passing grade. I really need to study hard for it in order to get a good grade.****That means that the next chapter might take awhile. So sorry for the bad news guys. I'm yearning for Thanksgiving Break and especially Winter Break to come faster, that's when I have more time to write.  
**

**Thanks again for your patience!**

* * *

Hurt.

Anger.

Shock.

Confusion.

Betrayal.

Lost in thought and plagued by negative emotions, Sokka took a seat on an isolated bench. The world felt like it was crumbling to pieces. His world.

He wanted to shout in agony, roaring with a mighty voice like that of an armadillo lion. He wanted to kick trash cans, flip tables over, and throw rocks at mobiles.

Yet, despite his emotions tempting him to throw a fit, he refrained and remained seated on the bench, face down and hands clenching his hair.

It was hard trying to suck it up and be a man. He just can't stop crying. Heck, why would he not cry?

_I have a son..._

He always wanted to have a child with Suki. He always aspired to be a loving father. He wanted to be a good role model. He wanted to raise his kids the way his father raised him.

And now, he realized he had a son the whole time, and he missed out on his life.

All because the love of his life never told him.

_Why would she do this to me? How could she do this to me?_

His feelings getting more intense, his face becoming heated, his breath becoming heavy, and before he knew it, his voice shouted, "ARGH!"

_..._

_..._

_..._

The area was quiet. He wondered if anyone heard, but he doesn't care. There's no space in his mind for caring about whether or not someone thinks he's deranged or something. All he could do was think about what Suki told him earlier.

Lei. His son.

He could hear a voice yelling in his head. _You missed out Sokka. You missed out on the birth of your son. You missed watching him grow._

Sokka tossed his head back and forth, his hands trying to keep his head firm and ignoring the voices in his mind.

After some more tears and mental pain, Sokka forced himself to get up out of the bench and continued walking.

He needed to talk with someone he can trust.

It can't be Zuko. It can't be Aang. It can't be Katara.

That leaves one left: Toph.

* * *

After Aang and Katara dropped Suki off at Sokka's apartment earlier today, they decided to pay Zuko a visit. Being the three who helped set Sokka up with meeting Suki, surely there will be some tension waiting to form between all of them. It was best to leave Mariko in charge of the kids while they were gone, because the adults have much to discuss.

Zuko had a second home in Republic City. Like Sokka, his apartment was on the top floor of a high-rise building. It was also a two-bedroom apartment, a master bedroom for him and Mai and a smaller bedroom for his daughter, Izumi. The demographics of the neighborhood were wealthy residents whom are predominately of Fire Nation descent.

At first, Zuko was planning to stay in Republic City for two weeks. However, seeing how the Council has much to discuss when it comes to new shipments for the Fire Nation, as well as providing emotional support for Sokka and Suki whenever he would need to, he thought it was best to stay in the city a little longer. Mai understood, and much to Zuko's delight, she plans to visit with Izumi soon so they won't have to be detached for long.

The three discussed the issue with Sokka and Suki at the dining table. They only want the best for them, and they hope they'll get through this.

"So, how was Suki after she came back from Sokka's?" The Firelord asked curiously.

"Not well at all," Katara answered, "Last night's dinner definitely didn't end well. That's why I'm worried about what's going on right now."

"Oh man, Sokka's probably pissed at us too. You know, right before he headed to your place for dinner, he almost caught me red handed. He speculated that you guys had something to surprise him with for dinner by reading my facial expression."

"Typical Sokka," Aang stated, "And what did you say?"

"I lied and said you guys were probably preparing roasted chicken, and luckily, he believed."

"Well it wasn't a lie alright. I actually went against my culture and had some of the acolytes prepare that meal."

"We thought since it was going to be a tough night, might as well make one of his favorite meals to distract him partially," Katara added, "But that was probably a stupid idea."

"Honestly Katara, it probably would have worked if the situation was less tense," Zuko addressed, "In this case, Sokka hasn't seen Suki in eighteen years. And boy, he's going to find out about Lei soon."

"That's the thing that's troubling me Zuko," Katara said nervously, "There's a possibility that Suki could have already told him by now. It was bad enough that he and Suki broke apart, but how would he react when he finds out he had a son he never knew of?"

Aang took his wife's hand, comforting her. "Like I said Katara, we know Sokka. Yes, things will probably get really emotional, but Sokka won't turn his back on this," he turned to look at Zuko, "Don't you agree?"

"A hundred percent," Zuko assured, "He'll probably, or most likely, feel sadness and anger over this situation, especially at Suki. But in the end, Sokka's the type of person who puts himself in other people's shoes and tries to understand from their perspectives. Don't worry Katara."

"Zuko's right, sweetie," Aang said to her, "Just let the emotions go by. In the end, Sokka will come through. I have faith that they both will get through this together."

"I sure hope so," Katara stated as she grabbed Aang's hand, yearning for more comfort, "Not only do I want the both of them to fix their relationship, but I hope things go well between Sokka and Lei too."

This was another matter. Yes, the three of them wanted Sokka and Suki to get back together. If not, then at least they can make amends and be friends again. But above all, they also wanted Sokka and Lei to develop a healthy father &amp; son relationship.

"Tell me about the kid. How is he?" Zuko was interested to know about him, and is hoping to meet him soon.

"A really good, nice young man," Aang told him, "Seemed shy at first, but turned out to be very friendly. You just have to make sure you give him a good impression. He also has a katana. Something tells me he has quite a talent."

"Hmmm, I can already tell he has the traits of his father just by that description," Zuko added, "To be honest, Sokka and Lei might bond over that. Sword fighting"

Katara agreed. "You're right Zuko! That's exactly how Sokka and Bumi bonded. And they bonded really good over that."

"Then there's definitely hope," assured the Firelord once more, "Sokka is a great man, and Lei seems so too. Things shouldn't go wrong with them."

"I feel the same way," Aang stated, "Lei and Sokka are going to have to meet. By the looks of it, things look like it'll turn out okay."

At least they hope.

* * *

"Wow... Just wow..."

That was all Toph could say after Sokka told her the story. Suki's back in the city, and she couldn't believe that out of all the times in the past, today is the day where she tells Sokka about her son. His son.

Moreover, Zuko, Aang and Katara had this event all planned. Why was she left out?

She felt sadness for Sokka. It must be so hard to have this type of news revealed to him. This is such a revelation. Furthermore, she was also offended that her three other friends didn't include her in this plan.

"I don't know what to do Toph," Sokka choked out, "I've always wanted to be a father. When I married her, it was my dream to live a life with her and start a family. And here I am, oblivious to the fact that I had a son, and I never knew of him." He placed his face in his palms.

Toph took a seat next to him. She could sense his feelings, his pain. His heart was beating rapidly. On his way to her office, he probably knocked a bunch of trash cans over or something. When he told Toph the story, she could clearly hear a mixture of anger and sadness in his tone.

"Sokka, it's not your fault that you didn't know you had a son. Suki should have told you about him."

"I know," Sokka exclaimed, "And that's the thing that pains me! Why the heck would she not tell me she was pregnant?! Even if we had a fight, why didn't she tell me?! I would have gone straight back to her, tried my best to reason with her, and raised my son."

His emotions are taking a toll on him, and she totally understands. _Poor Sokka. _She put her arms around him, comforting him. Obviously, there's nothing she can say to make him feel better. No words can make him feel better. If she was in his shoes, she would feel the same. Anyone would.

Sokka tried his best to comfort himself in Toph's embrace. "Shit, I missed out Toph," he stated softly, his voice still saddened, "He's probably sixteen or seventeen years old right now. I missed his whole childhood. I missed the opportunity to watch my son grow. If only," Sokka paused in order to catch a breath and continued, "If only I went back to Kyoshi Island. If only I went back to try to apologize or reason with her, instead of me just running away from the pain she inflicted on me at the time."

Toph could tell Sokka is blaming himself for not knowing he had a son, and for remaining out of Suki's life all these years.

"Sokka, don't."

"But Toph..."

"I don't want to hear it Sokka," Toph spoke firmly, "Because none of this is your fault! Don't you dare blame yourself for this!"

Sokka sniffled, trying his best to remain quiet and listen to Toph's words.

The blind earthbender felt so much sympathy for him. It wasn't his fault, yet that won't stop him from being emotional about it. It's his son for crying out loud. She wanted to yell at Suki, for keeping their son away from him and causing him so much pain for doing so. However, she can't hate Suki just yet. She wants to hear her side of the story as well. As of now, she will try her best to reason with Sokka.

"Sokka," Toph began to spoke softly, "I know this is going to be really tough, but you must not blame yourself, and you should try to talk with Suki. Even if you're mad, which I don't blame you, try to see what she has to say about this."

"I don't think I can look her straight in the eye after this. Today, I fell for her once again. I missed her touch, I missed her lips. It felt great to be in her arms again, but that sudden revelation about Lei hit me so hard. I couldn't bear being around her."

"It's a foolish thing for Suki to not tell you about him," Toph addressed, "It indeed is, but get some answers from her. Out of all the times she could have visited, why now? And why this late? Demand these answers from her Sokka. Why did she stay out of your life? Why did she stay out of all our lives?"

Sokka didn't feel comforted by her words, but that's because he knows Toph is being straightforward with him. There's no point in attempting to make him feel better. It won't work.

Toph was right though. He needed answers from Suki.

"Maybe I should do just that."

"You should. Now go do it Sokka, before more time is wasted."

* * *

"Finally you called!"

"Miss you Jia! Wish you were here right now."

"I wish so too. Tell me, what is it like being in the city?"

It's been almost two days since he left Kyoshi Island, yet Lei already misses his best friend so much. He's used to seeing her almost daily. As of now, hearing her voice on the other line of the phone puts an immediate smile on his face. Thank goodness for the intelligent people who created the telephone, because he couldn't bear having no contact with her. Especially since he's miles away from home right now.

"Oh snap, Jia, you would never guess who I met last night!"

"Who?!" The curiosity in her tone was clearly evident.

"My cousin!"

"What?! No way!"

"Yep, and I didn't know he was my cousin until today, when I met him on the island."

"Wait wait, rewind back Lei. Tell me how the night went."

And so Lei explained to her detail by detail. He started by telling her about how he stumbled upon one of Koji's chain restaurants, then helped Bumi and Zhang with their orders, and ended with Lei pronouncing to Bumi that he's his cousin.

"Wow, that awkward moment," Jia giggled, "Well looks you got on a positive note so far."

"Yeah, I guess," Lei responded, "Bumi is a cool dude."

"So, how did Bumi react with when you told him?"

Lei still laughs when he remembered Bumi's completely dumbstruck expression earlier today, when he announced that he's his cousin.

"Let's see, aside from his eyes widening and his jaw falling straight to the ground," Lei smiled as he heard Jia giggle on the other line, "I basically tried my best explaining everything to him. That I was Sokka's son, but he never knew I was born because my mother and him got into a huge fight prior to my birth. I told him to try to keep that part on the low, don't want Aang's other children to find out I'm their cousin yet, nor do we want to repeat about my parent's past conflicts."

"And he was cool with it?" Jia does worry for Lei, in case someone else spills the beans and things go out of hand.

"Oh yes," Lei answered confidently, "I mean, he was stunned for awhile when he found out we're cousins, but afterwards, he seemed to be understanding about it. Just like me, he doesn't want drama. We'll just let the adults be adults."

"Good, I'm glad the both of you are being responsible young men." Jia always admired how Lei always took the mature way to handle things, even if the situation dealt with adults much older than him. "And did things went well with meeting your uncle and aunt?"

"It actually went very well. Uncle Aang is a very chill guy, and Aunt Katara is the nicest person ever. I like them both."

"I mean come on Lei, you're uncle is the freaking Avatar and your aunt is the greatest waterbender ever!" Jia exclaimed. Surely, being part of a family with these types of individuals in it is something to brag about.

Lei never seemed to care though. "Oh you know me. Never thought so highly about that since, like my own dad, I never knew them at the time."

Jia flinched a little, hoping she's not pressing any wrong buttons when it comes to talking with Lei about his estranged family. She did, however, wanted to know how him and his mother were doing, "How are you and your mother by the way?"

Lei stayed quiet for a brief second, then answered, "Mom met him last night, and was on his way to see him again earlier today. I really don't know what went on."

"I hope everything turns out okay," Jia stated softly.

"I hope so too Jia. Honestly, if my mom gets a major heartbreak, I'm going to have to talk with the man I'm supposed to call 'dad' myself."

Jia knew, behind Lei's nice and charming demeanor, that there's is also a fighter who not only wants to combat enemies, but anyone who hurts the people he loves. It could be in the form of fists, or in the form of words. Of course, that is another thing Jia admires about him, but she doesn't want him to get too serious with this. "Lei, please don't do anything that might add more fire to the mix."

"I'm here for my mother Jia, and I don't want no other man hurting her."

"I know Lei, and I understand, but remember to think first before acting. Even if your mother did get her heart broken, how about Sokka? How would you know if his heart is equally is broken as hers?"

"I don't know Jia, he was the one who left her in the first place."

Jia tried her best to be patient with him. This type of conversation evokes negative emotions from him, but Jia just wants to make sure Lei doesn't complicate things further in case something bad happens. "Well, you don't know both sides of the story right? Why would your mother even attempt to visit him if he's as bad as you make him out to be?"

When Lei remained silent, Jia knew she got her point across. She continued, "Like you said earlier, let the adults be adults. Come on, I've heard about Sokka a lot from my parents, and we already know you're mom is an amazing woman. I have a good feeling they both will get through this."

_There she goes again. So much positivity. So much hope. Always knows how to make me smile._

"Alright Jia, I'll take your word for it," Lei told her, "You can never let me be angry can't you?"

"Nope," she responded gleefully, "That's one of my many duties when it comes to you. "

Both of them giggled. It's always nice to have a friend with a helping hand, someone you can put a shoulder on. If only Jia was here right now, placing her hand on his. Gosh how he missed that sign of comfort. They continued talking for over an hour.

"Oh, Lei, I have to go now. Mom and I are headed to the market to prepare for dinner."

"Alright, I'll call you later sometime."

"Don't leave me hanging too long!"

Lei smiled. He would never do that. "Promise."

"Bye Lei!"

"Bye!"

* * *

Suki never left Sokka's apartment. She spend a good fraction of her day crying in here. Weird, she actually found comfort in this apartment. This place practically had Sokka's aroma all over it. She missed that feeling so much. She missed it when her and Sokka lived peacefully in their own house, before things took a dramatic turn.

She wants Sokka back so much, but right now, she knew she tore him apart. She couldn't feel any worse.

_I knew I should've told him I was pregnant._

She cursed herself for not saying anything at the time. It was stupid. All because she didn't want to be around Sokka for hurting her, and she feared that he would just reject her.

She prayed to the spirits that everything was going to be okay between her and Sokka. Especially when Lei was going to be involved.

Then, as if the spirits answered her prayers, the door opened.

Sokka came back.

Suki wiped the tears away from her eyes as she sat straight, gazing at Sokka approaching her.

He took a seat right beside her.

"Suki, we need to talk."


	9. About A Son

**Finally, after a long few weeks of studying, I'm finally able to update. So sorry for the wait guys. When important tests and papers come up, my weekdays and weekends are consumed by studying. Again, thanks for the patience! Another good news is that as of now, I don't have so much busy work until it's time to study for finals. The semester is practically wrapping up.**

**I know this chapter is pretty short, but I wanted this chapter just to focus on Sokka and Suki. This is to set the emotions and events for what's to come.**

**Lastly, for people who haven't reviewed, I want to ask if you guys could please do so. Reviews would help me a lot, whether their compliments, criticisms, analysis, or anything related. I'll stop bugging you guys about it now, but I just wanted to say I would love to see some reviews from you guys. Thanks!**

* * *

"Why Suki?

This was going to be the toughest conversation they would ever have. Things are going to be extremely difficult after this talk. Suki doesn't have to be a fortuneteller to know it. Though she tried her best to be emotionally prepared for this conversation, she found that she still wasn't strong enough. Heck, can anyone be strong enough for this?

"Suki... please answer me."

The Kyoshi warrior tried her best not to cry. The quivering voice of her ex-husband made her heart clench. "Sokka, I'm so, so sorr-"

"I didn't ask for an apology," he interrupted, "I want to know, why haven't you told me about Lei?"

She couldn't decipher his exact emotion. It seemed like a mixture of anger and sadness. She doesn't blame him though. She'll take full responsibility for his shattered heart, and she can't be anymore sorry. Another apology won't do, so all she could do was get to the point.

"I found out I was pregnant a few weeks after our last fight," she spoke as she winced at the painful memory, "I didn't want to believe it, but the signs were obvious. Ty Lee and the other warriors in the village also confirmed it. From then on, I was stressed. I was finally about to give birth to a child I've always wanted, but..." She didn't know how to continue.

"We broke apart," Sokka finished for her, "You were finally about to give birth to a child WE'VE always wanted, but then we broke apart."

Suki sniffled and tried her hardest to hold back the tears. "Yes, you're correct."

The Water tribe warrior tried his best to keep his calm, though it was extremely hard not to hide his pain. "So why didn't you tell me Suki? You know we've always wanted to have a child, and even though we got into that fight, why did you refrain from telling me about this?"

Suki finally choked out, "Because I was angry and scared Sokka! You yelled at me to stay away from you, so that's what I tried to do. I didn't want to be around you, but I still kept missing you so much! I even made Ty Lee go and talk to you, but clearly that didn't work out. When I found out that you didn't want me anymore, I thought... I thought..."

"You figured it be best if you raised your child yourself. You didn't want to raise him knowing his parents didn't want anything to do with each other. You thought that it would turn into an unhealthy family relationship. Am I right?" Sokka asked her. It was obvious he was hurt.

He was right though. If it's anyone that knows Suki the most, it was Sokka. Nothing changed over the past eighteen years. He stills knows her inside and out.

"Yes," Suki quietly answered. She felt ashamed of herself.

"You really thought that I would be a bad father?" Sokka wanted to cry himself, but he still kept his composure.

"No Sokka, it's not that. I thought it was best if Lei wasn't raised by parents who hated each other, but I just wasn't thinking straight. "

"And yet you still kept Lei's existence from me?! My own son?!" The water tribe chairman yelled. It wasn't a furious shout; It was one expressed in agony. He was hurt that Suki would keep this from him, and it also hurt to know Suki didn't think positively of him at all. "And how could you think I hated you," he added, his voice now soft, "I never hated you."

The Kyoshi warrior finally let the tears fall. He always loved her just as much as she loved him, and here she is shattering his heart and bringing him on the verge of tears. "I never hated you too Sokka," she softly sobbed, " It was my mistake. I was selfish and stupid, and I still thought about letting you meet Lei even as the years passed."

"So why didn't you tell me Suki?" Sokka let the tears fall, but still yearned for answers. "Why didn't you let me meet him?"

Suki didn't want to answer, knowing that it will break his already broken heart. She quietly sobbed to herself even more, rubbing the tears from her eyes that never seemed to stop falling.

"Suki..."

Sokka still demanded an answer, and she knows he won't stop asking. She finally decided to tell him, "Because Lei didn't want me too."

She flinched when she said that sentence aloud and tried her best to avoid eye contact with her ex-husband.

For Sokka, he just sat there, frozen. All his emotions for Suki seemed to have went away, at least for the time being. Instead, he seemed to have newfound emotions towards his son. It was an overwhelming feeling of hurt.

_He rejected me already. I never got to know him, and he already rejected me. A son I've always wanted, and he doesn't want anything to do with me._

Sokka buried his face in his hands. He didn't know what to feel. He never had the chance to raise Lei, so he can't feel any love for him. However, he's his son. He's his flesh and blood, and the fact that he never got the chance to raise him is what hurts him.

He never had the chance to love him.

...

...

...

Time passed by very slowly. Both the Water Tribe warrior and the Kyoshi warrior said no words throughout the elapsed time. The emotions between them were heavy.

Seeing Sokka like this always hit her hard. It hurts to see him broken, and it upsets her even more given the fact that she is the cause of it. Once she finished her silent sobbing, she decided to speak, "Sokka, it's not like that anymore. After talking with Lei, he's now okay with it. He's here in the city as well."

Sokka's eyes widened. His son is here, in his place of residence. Looks like he's going to meet him very soon, and he wonders if he's emotionally prepared to meet him.

"Sokka, I can't feel any worse than I already do," she choked, "I wish I can go back in time and change everything. I missed you so much, and now that I'm finally able to see you again, I don't want you out of my life. Not again."

Sokka said no words. Of course he missed Suki all this time, but the fact that he never got to know Lei pained him.

"Sokka, please..."

Though he was still hurt, he knew Suki's words were sincere. In his mind, he thought he had a fault in this situation as well.

"I forgive you, Suki," he was able to finally speak, "And I'm sorry too."

Hearing his forgiveness and apology gave the Kyoshi warrior a sudden surprise, but a slight relief.

"You're sorry? Why are you sorry?"

"I told you to stay out of my life," he commented, "I made it clear that I didn't want anything to do with you. You were just listening to my commands. I don't blame you for not telling me about Lei. I'm sorry."

Suki felt content with his apology. His honest apology made her happy, yet sad at the same time. Sokka is always the type to remain equal in situations he's involved in. He's able to look past people's mistakes, and he even acknowledges that he himself could've make mistakes too. That was one aspect of him that she always admired.

That's the reason why Suki feels bad for him. Her mistake was intense, yet Sokka manages to apologize and counts himself as a reason for this mess.

"Sokka, please don't blame yourself for this. My mistake was worse."

"But you wouldn't have made that mistake if it wasn't for me."

"Sokka..." Suki did what her instincts told her to do. She placed a warm kiss on his cheek.

Sokka loved those comfortable kisses. Even though he may not be in the brightest mood, he still can't deny those delightful kisses.

"Suki, can we start all over?"

Suki's heart jumped. She's always wanted that, and was hoping for that. She knew it was going to be hard, but she was happy to have this chance. "Yes, Sokka," she answered as she placed another kiss on his cheek, "I would love that."

They both kissed. Despite the emotional turmoil that has been occurring between them lately, their kiss always felt passionate.

For Sokka, he knew himself this was going to be hard as well. He's going to have to meet his son, and he doesn't know when he'll stop resenting Suki from never telling him about Lei.

However, he knows one thing for sure: he's not kicking Suki out of his life anymore. He finally has her back, and he's grateful for that.

They both know that rebuilding this relationship will be hard, especially under this circumstance.

But no matter what, they are determined to work on this.


	10. Getting Ready

He does want to start all over with Suki. He does. It may be hard to look at her right now, but he still does. If he doesn't, it'll lead to more depression. Eighteen years, and he still hadn't forgot about this woman.

Eighteen years, and he learned that he had a son. Has a son.

Both the Water Tribe warrior and the Kyoshi warrior decided to go to Hong's restaurant to have dinner. It was better to end the night on more positive terms, and dinner at a restaurant is the perfect setting to have a casual conversation. Also, Sokka wants to know about Lei.

The delicious meals at Hong's take quite a while to prepare, but definitely worth the wait. After they sat and ordered their meals, Sokka decided to start up the main conversation while they wait.

"So Suki, can you tell me about our..."

"Our son?"

"Yeah, our son." Sokka felt ashamed for not being able to spit it out. He was his son, but it was hard to feel the bond if he never knew him. It's best to start to get to know him now, and work on getting that bond.

Suki herself knew that this will be a challenging task. Sokka and Lei are both amazing men, and in Suki's opinion, they would make a great father-and-son connection. However, due to the seventeen fatherless years of Lei's life (which she stills blames herself), it won't be that easy to establish such a connection.

Nonetheless, Suki was glad to give him a description of the son she loves so much. "Lei is an incredible young man, Sokka," she says, noticing she sparked Sokka's interest.

"He is kind, friendly, courageous, intelligent, and fearless. He is the type who fights and doesn't give up, no matter how hard things may get. He is the type who puts the people he loves first. It amazes me how selfless he is, and it makes me so proud," Suki stated with much content, eyes watering as she describes the son that meant the world to her, "He is also quite skilled when it comes to his katana, and he is not bad with fans himself. Ty Lee and I, as well as some of our friends, taught him many skills as he grew up. He is wise and noble, and his determination is what led him to be the proficient young man he is. He also does very well in school, and will be applying for a university soon. His grades and achievements are stellar!"

Sokka was captivated by Suki's description of Lei. His biological son is truly this outstanding? It's fascinating, but at the same time, it hurts that he wasn't there to witness the growth of such a marvelous child. Nevertheless, Sokka still was intrigued to listen to Suki's description.

"Of course, he may have some attitude if you get on his bad side," Suki continued, "He's quick to defend himself and tries to stay away from those he doesn't have positive judgments of. This is when his stubborn side shows. However, if he realizes his mistakes, he's quick to apologize and is good with his apologies too. You seriously cannot hate him."

Suki smiled thinking of her son, and it also warmed her heart to see Sokka interested in everything Suki said. Looking in his eyes, she can tell Sokka was amazed by just a detailed description of Lei. "And one last thing Sokka, he looks just like you."

While marveling over his amazing son that he'll meet soon, Sokka was surprised by the last thing Suki said. He tried to open his mouth to say something, but no words came out.

"A piece of you was always with me Sokka, literally. When you see him, you'll know what I mean. Judging from the looks girls would give him back on Kyoshi Island, he's quite easy on the eyes. I guess you can thank his father for that," Suki chuckled as she expressed her statement, allowing Sokka to have a small laugh himself.

"Wow..." That was all Sokka could say. A son who looks like him, with many great qualities. Sokka was excited to meet this child, yet nervous at the same time. "I hope he'll like me."

Suki stretched her arm across the table to place her hand on Sokka's that laid right next to his empty plate. Like she thought to herself earlier, it may not be easy at the moment, but she has great hope that things will end up well. Knowing Sokka and Lei's true personalities, she is certain.

"I know it will be hard at first Sokka, but I'm hopeful that you two will make it work."

Sokka can only hope that Suki's words are true.

* * *

Having the talk with the Firelord was much needed. Aang, Katara and Zuko all needed to vent about the situations currently happening as well as particular events that are bound to take place. They should be focusing on balance between the United Republic and the rest of the four nations, but instead, they're focusing on their friends' relationship and Lei. It's just more stress added to their daily lives.

Aang and Katara arrived home late, figuring Mariko had already brought the kids to bed. The couple decided to have a late night meal before they headed to bed themselves. They've been so caught up thinking about their friends that they haven't really had time to eat.

In the kitchen, Katara made some vegetable dumplings while Aang scooped some rice for two plates. There were also some left over moon cakes from the day before.

As the couple finished preparing their meals and started eating, they wondered if Suki returned home yet. Their place of residence is large, so they wouldn't know if she's here unless if Katara checked the women's dormitory.

"You think she'd be back by now?" The waterbender asked her husband curiously.

"I don't know," Aang replied, "But I think it's best we leave it be for the time being. Don't you think?"

"But what if Suki's in her room right now crying her night away? And what if Sokka's doing the same too?"

"Then it's best that we stay away from it sweetie. Don't you think they're mature enough to handle their own problems? We don't want to get caught in the fire."

Katara sighed. He was right after all. As much as she wanted to help the people she cared for, sometimes the best help you could give is to let them handle their own problems.

"Too bad no one extinguished the fire once it started."

The surprised couple turned to see their eldest son standing in the doorway.

"Bumi! You're still awake?"

"Mom, it's only nine o'clock."

Aang and Katara fidgeted. Did he hear the conversation?

"Why does it look like your dressed to go out?" Aang asked his son, trying to change the topic.

"That's because I am. I'm going out to the city again.

"With who?" His mother asked, also wanting to switch from the previous topic.

"My cousin, Lei."

And both were caught red-handed. Bumi found out. The couple and Suki planned to reveal the news later in the week, but looks like Bumi and Lei already met.

"So, you found out?" Katara asked her son, nervous to hear what he has to say about it.

"Oh yes I did. We actually met in the city at this new restaurant that opened up. Then, we ended up meeting on this island. Our home is not as big as you think you know. We were definitely bound to run into each other."

The couple could hear the sass rising up in their son's tone. They felt guilty for not telling their kids right away that their guests were actually their family members. They wanted to wait until Sokka and Suki were settled. If they told their kids beforehand, they might become curious about the subject and could possibly ask Sokka or Suki uncomfortable questions, especially Kya and Tenzin.

"It's kinda crazy you know," Bumi continued, "I have other family members out there, and I never got to know them. Especially Lei, he's a cool, non-bending dude who knows how to fight with a katana, and I never got to know him. And he's my cousin!"

"Bumi, we're so sorry," Aang stated, "We ourselves didn't know about Lei until recently. We just didn't want to tell you yet until things are sorted out first. There's stuff you don't know."

"Trust me, I know stuff. I'm not going to say anything though. All I can say is that sometimes adults needs to take serious responsibility before they start breaking hearts in the future."

Aang and Katara looked at each other with tense facial expressions. Lei probably told him about the whole issue.

"I should head out now. Lei's probably waiting for me at the dormitory. I'll be back before twelve."

* * *

"And you just left?"

"Yep. You should've seen the look on their faces."

"Haha! Who knew you can be sassy and on-point at the same time? Especially to your parents!"

"That's for keeping secrets from me, mom and dad!"

Both the young men laughed. Lei and Bumi seemed to get along really well right off the bat. They noticed they had similar characteristics: skilled in swords, a sense of humor, and charm.

Throughout the night, they fooled around with each other, flirted with cute girls, and even pranked some street thugs. They both had lots of fun and wished they got to know each other long ago. For Bumi, it felt nice to get along with another non-bending child within the family.

Finally, they both relaxed at the Republic City Park, eating pork sausages on a stick. The park was Bumi's favorite place to sit and relax. Lei doesn't blame him, because he feels the same way. It was nice being in a nature-like area within a busy city.

"So, you like it here in Republic City?" The fifteen year-old asked his older cousin.

"Of course. It's very energetic and diverse here."

"Dude, when are you going back?"

"I really don't know yet," Lei stated, "I guess it's up to my mom."

"Well I hope you're able to stay for awhile. We have so much stuff to do in this city."

"Oh yeah I'd definitely love to have more nights like this," the older cousin happily exclaimed. "The school year over at Kyoshi Island ends a month earlier than most schools, so I'm not in a rush since I'm on vacation. I do miss some friends at home though."

"Is there a special lady back at home Lei?" Bumi asked suspiciously with a grin.

Lei was surprised with his deliberate question. "Uhhh not really..."

"Oh is that so," Bumi continued with his witty tone, "Then why is it that when we flirting with those cute girls earlier, you didn't seem interested in them? I had a friend like that, and that was because his mind was sprung by some other chick."

For some reason, Bumi's comment made his heart beat a little, like he was caught red-handed or had a secret exposed. "I guess I just wasn't in the mood."

"What about that girl you mentioned? Jia?"

Lei's cheek faintly blushed. "Wow buddy! She's just a pal!"

"Just, a pal?" The younger cousin asked with one eyebrow raised.

"Yes! A really good friend of mine. Nothing more!" Lei exclaimed. For some reason, he felt like he was lying to himself.

"Mhm, alright then." Bumi knew that Lei was deceiving himself, and he chuckled as the red on Lei's cheeks lost color after some seconds. He decided to leave this topic for some other time. "For real though, I do hope you stay longer. I know we only met for a few days, but you seem mad chill."

"Thanks Bumi," Lei happily responded, "You're pretty cool yourself."

"You ready for what's to come dude?"

"You mean meeting my father that I haven't got to know my whole life? Ehhhhhhh, I can't say I'm super excited about it."

"Uncle Sokka is a really cool guy," Bumi stated confidently, "He's one of the best uncles ever."

"Now if only he was there to be the best father to me," Lei replied as he looked away.

As much as Bumi wanted to assure his cousin that his father is a great man, he knew it'll be hard. Lei had never met his own father, so he can't exactly have such positive feelings for his biological dad. In his head, he blames all the adults for this responsibility. Shouldn't Sokka and Suki be mature enough to handle their relationship back then? Shouldn't his parents, Zuko and Toph tried to help? How come no one knew about Lei? Look at the mess now.

"Try to give Sokka a chance Lei. I know it may be hard for you, and I can't feel the same way you do cause I'm not in your shoes, but I say you should give Sokka a chance. He's been a great uncle to me, so I don't see why he'll be any less of a father to you."

_That's exactly what Jia tried to tell me._

Lei took a deep breath. Bumi, Jia, and even his mother tried to tell him similar things about Sokka. They're right after all. Sokka, his biological dad, deserves a chance.

"Yeah, I guess. Let's just hope he's as good as you say he is."

"Trust me, I'm positive."

* * *

Dinner at Hong's was always satisfying. The food there was hard to resist, especially anything meat-related. Aside from the meals, the conversations between them went well. At least the night ended off okay. Sokka was able to assist Suki on a public mobile and dropped her off at the ferry.

The couple wanted to start all over, and they'll do it by small steps. Even though they kissed, the word 'boyfriend,' 'girlfriend,' or 'love' have not been said yet.

Once they arrived at the ferry, they shared a quick kiss and Sokka had one final question:

"So when am I going to meet Lei?"

Suki mentally thought a suitable time, but assumed that the quicker the better. This is his son they're talking about; They can't wait it out. "How about... tomorrow?"

Sokka felt a little bit nervous, but just like Suki, he wanted to meet his son right away. "Tomorrow is good. Do you think you guys can stop by my apartment early afternoon?"

"Yes!" The Kyoshi warrior happily answered. However, she remembered one important thing, "Oh yeah, I won't be there. It's only going to be you two."

"What?" Sokka questioned as his heart started beating a little faster, "You can't come too?"

"Lei told me he wanted to meet you alone. He thinks it's the best way for him to get to know you for himself."

The Water tribe warrior felt the nerve-wrecking feeling scattering across his body. His biological son is definitely a mature one alright. As much as he wants to meet his son, he still can't fight away the paranoia.

_What if he doesn't like me? What if I screw up?_

Suki noticed the uneasy tension shown on his face. She quickly cupped his cheek and gave him another kiss. "Sokka, you'll be fine. Just be your casual self."

"I'll try Suki, I'll try."

The ferry blew it's horn, signaling that it's ready to depart. Suki gave Sokka another kiss and thanked him for the night. Once she hurried to the ramp, she remembered she had one last thing to say to Sokka:

"By the way Sokka, Lei said you should have the balls to meet him."

And with that, she boarded the ferry, leaving the Water Tribe warrior dumbstruck.


	11. The Meeting: Part 1

_Today is the day._

Sokka laid in his bed with a flood of thoughts rushing into his mind. This afternoon, he'll be meeting his long lost son. It was hard falling asleep last night with all the excitement, yet also paranoia, mixed in his brain.

_What am I going to say? What if I screw up? What if he doesn't like me? Shit, he probably doesn't think so fondly of me. I've been absent from his life. _

The Water tribe warrior's whole morning consisted of him practicing what to say and fearing what will happen. He can tell his son is already strong-headed and probably ready to have this meeting. After all, he's been told that he should have the balls to meet him. What is he going to say?

_Oh hello! I'm your father! I'm sorry I've been absent from your life ever since you were born, but it's not your fault. It was mine, or your mother's, or one of us... but I'm glad to finally get to meet you. I heard so much great things about you, and I'm sorry I didn't get to witness your growth... but glad to see you were able to become a great young man without a father..._

Realizing that practicing his dialogues didn't go so well, Sokka massaged his head. Too much thinking actually hurts his brain. As if his heart hadn't hurt enough the past days. Aside from that, there are plans he has to think of.

_Just my son and I today. What is there to do? Maybe eat somewhere, take him places he wants to go, then think of more stuff to do?_

The Water tribe warrior doesn't know so much about his son's interests (aside from sword fighting), so it was hard to make plans. The only thing he knows is his personality, and that's because his ex-wife described it yesterday. He can only hope Suki's description is a hundred percent accurate. If that's the case, this meeting between a father and a son would be bittersweet.

Seeing the sun shine on his face, the councilman of the city decided to stop wasting time being distracted by thoughts and prepare for the day.

* * *

The ferry waited at the dock of Air Temple Island, ready to depart towards the city. Lei and Suki walked down the stairs. Suki wanted to wish her son good luck, for this was going to be a very serious day.

Lei was kind of nervous himself. He never really wanted to meet this man in the first place, but his loved ones kept convincing him that he should. Of course, he knows they're right, and yet for some reason he still has his doubts.

"Ready sweetheart?"

"Ehhhhhh, I guess."

Suki encased her son in a soft hug, to which Lei responded to. Throughout his life, a mention of a father has been controversial to Lei. He grew to accept the fact that he didn't have a father. Then, he felt that he doesn't need a father. Now, it's the time when he actually needs to meet his father. His biological father. The man who shares his blood, and apparently his looks.

"My honest opinion mom," he spoke to her, "I'm not really looking forward to this. You probably expected that."

"I know Lei," Suki responded solemnly, "But I'm glad you're doing this."

"Yeah, I decided to give it a shot. People deserve a chance I guess."

"That makes me so proud Lei. I'm glad you're thinking that way." It makes Suki glad that her son always know how to handle things maturely. He is the type that picks the appropriate path, no matter how problematic situations may get. "You're father is truly a great man, Lei. I really want you to meet him."

"I take it that you're meeting with him went well?" He asked his mother curiously.

Suki blushed. She remembered the night before vividly. The emotions, the kisses, and seeing that the man she loved eighteen years ago is still that man. "Yes Lei, it did."

"Ugh mom," Lei groaned, "You're blushing."

Suki giggled. "What? You're mom can't be happy about being with an old love right now?"

Lei stuck his tongue out. "None of my business anyway."

Suki smiled and began ruffling her son's hair, allowing him to groan ever more. "Oh, by the way, I meant to tell you this before you leave. You know what happened when I told your father about you?"

Suddenly, Lei was intrigued. "You told him about me?" Lei asked with eyes wide opened, "What did he say?"

The Kyoshi warrior laughed at her son's sudden interest and told him, "You should've seen the look on his face. When I told him about you, he was speechless and all he said was 'wow...'," she said as she mimicked Sokka's facial expression, "Now he's really anxious to meet you. He's nervous that you won't like him, especially given the fact that you're the amazing young man you are, but trust me when I say he really wants to meet you."

Lei smiled. He felt complimented. Not only did his mother described him positively, but the fact that this man actually seemed to like him did warm his heart. "It must have been hard to find out about me."

Suki's face briefly saddened, "Yes, it was. Lots of tears, not only from me but from him too, but we managed to get through the night as you can tell."

_He cried? _For the first time, Lei thought that there is actually a heart in this man, _Sokka_. Weirdly, this made him feel somewhat excited about this meeting, yet his nervousness also increased substantially as well. Is this meeting going to be emotional too? Looks like Lei will have to find out.

"Well mom, I think it's time I head. It's about to be noon now."

"Okay son," she replied as she fixed his collar, "You have the address and everything?"

"Yep."

"Good," she answered as she gave her son a quick kiss on the forehead, "Please make this meeting one that you'll never forget. Okay Lei?"

After hesitating about how he can't promise that, Lei replied, "I'll try mom."

The Kyoshi warrior gave her son another hug. "Good luck sweetheart."

"Thanks. I'll be back tonight."

* * *

The Firelord awoken to the sound of loud knocks banging on the door. He was disappointed with the fact that he didn't get the long sleep he yearned for. Who could that be? Why didn't the royal guards take care of this impatient visitor?

"ZUKO!"

_Shit. That's Toph._

And she did not sound happy. Getting out of bed and putting on a shirt, Zuko hurried to the door. Once he opened it, the blind earthbender marched right in, almost knocking over the Firelord in the process.

"Oh hello there Toph, nice to see you again too," he addressed sarcastically.

"Don't play funny with me Sparky. I'm quite upset with you."

"Me? What did I do?"

"I'm upset with all of you, actually."

Zuko was confused to what the distressed earthbender was hinting at. "Okay... what is it Toph?"

"Let's just say Sokka came to visit me," Toph answered clearly, "And I've learned some pretty shocking news. Something tells me I'm going to see more of Sokka from now on if his emotional turmoil keeps up."

The Firelord gasped. Sokka came to her and most likely told her all the events that went on. "Toph, I'm so sorry that Sokka got you caught up in this mess."

"That's not what I'm angry about dumb ass."

"No?" Zuko questioned confusedly, "Then what?"

"You guys planned all this. No one told me anything!" The earthbender shouted. She was actually close to breaking the floor with just the swift movement of her hand.

Zuko realized the problem. Him, Aang, Katara, and even Mai all helped with setting up Suki and Sokka back together. Yet for some reason, they left Toph out of this. She was a close friend too, and Zuko wondered why they never even bothered mentioning any of this to her.

"Toph I am so sorry. I don't even know why we didn't even mention anything to you."

"I don't know why either Sparky," she responded with much attitude.

Zuko flinched. No one wanted to get on her bad side, or even her sassy side. "We all wanted Sokka to get better and we wanted to see Suki again. Suki and Mai still talk now and then, and Mai was able to give Suki Katara and Aang's number, and I was aware of it all cause I was right there when Mai called Suki. I guess since me and the rest of gang were so busy stressing over this situation, and you were busy running the police station, we never got the chance to actually sit down with you and discuss this."

"But don't you think this is really important for me to know Zuko?" Toph questioned strongly, "Cause I know it is important to me. Sokka is a great friend of mine, and I've also missed Suki so much. The fact that my close friends never included me in this plan that I would so love to participate in, and the fact that they never even visit me that much anymore, kinda hurts me y'know. Only Sokka has been visiting me. Where are you, twinkletoes and sugarqueen?"

Zuko took a seat down on the couch and took a silent breath. This situation was important to Toph. She cared just as much for her friends. "Toph, I really am extremely sorry. We should've been thoughtful of you. We should've even visited you more just to say hi. I'm really sorry, and I've missed you."

Seeing that Toph still had her arms folded and a scowl on her face, Zuko had one more thing to say, "We're all motherfuckers who deserve to be beaten senseless by you. We suck."

"There we go. Apology forgivin Sparky."

"Thank goodness," Zuko chuckled.

"Yeah now I need apologies from the others," she stated firmly yet still jokingly.

"Well glad to know mine is done."

Toph began to take a seat herself on the couch, right next to Zuko. After the small laughter died down, it was time to get serious. "So, Lei is his name?"

"Yep, the son. You know about him?"

"Yeah, Sokka told me. That's crazy! You should've seen how Sokka took it."

"How was he when he visited you?"

"Sad, angry, eyes stained with tears and the obvious feeling of betrayal."

No one got to know whether or not Suki told Sokka about Lei. Looks like she did, and Toph was the closest to being able to witness his reaction. "That bad huh? Then again, I'm not surprised."

"Sokka's gonna meet this boy soon," the earthbender stated, " I wonder how that'll be like."

"I have a feeling that they're going to meet sooner than we expect," replied the Firelord, "It should end up well. It's Sokka, so it should end up well."

* * *

_This is it. _

Lei stood in front of the door of his father's residence. Here he is, on the top floor of a high-rise apartment building. His heart was beating fast, and his legs felt like they couldn't move forward at all. This is an event he never knew would happen. All his life without a father, and never caring about having one, seems pointless now. This is a time that will change everything.

As the seconds go by, Lei finally gets the strength to lift his arm and knock on the door.

Knock knock.

_No reply. _

Knock knock.

"Coming!"

He heard to voice of an adult man on the other side of that door. That was him. That was the voice of his father. Finally, after seventeen years of his life, he is going to meet the man that created him.

He heard footsteps getting closer to the door, and the sound of the doorknob getting unlocked.

_Here we go._

Lei takes a deep breath as the door opens.


	12. The Meeting: Part 2

Sokka was stunned to see the young man standing right in front of him. He blinked twice with his mouth slightly open. Was his eyes deceiving him? It was like he was staring at a younger version of himself.

His skin tone was slightly lighter.

He was almost as tall as him.

He did not have a warrior's wolf tail, but rather short dark brown hair.

He has purple eyes, which he most likely inherited from his mother.

He was well-dressed, handsome, and had a lean physique.

Those were the only differences between him and this young man. This is truly his son.

On the other hand, Lei was speechless himself. Here he is, standing in front of the famous Sokka. The man who helped save the world, and the man who is the chairman of the Council of the United Republic. He never expected to be standing in front of a man with such power, not to mention this man is his father. To top it off, now he knows where he received his looks from.

His skin tone was slightly darker.

He was a little bit taller than him.

He has a warrior's wolf tail, typical among people of the Water tribe.

He has blue eyes, the same eyes as Aunt Katara's.

He was dressed professionally and has a lean but more mature physique.

Those were the only differences between him and the older man in front of him. This is truly his father.

_No wonder why Aang and Katara gave me that look when I first arrived. I look just like this dude right here, _Lei thought to himself.

Realizing they've been silent for quite a few seconds, Lei decided to say the first greeting. "Uh... hey."

Sokka snapped out of his current state of mind and replied back. "Hey there. You... you're Lei?"

"That's me."

Involuntarily, Sokka gave him a hug. "Look at you," he quietly spoke, "You're like a younger version of myself."

"Yeah, and you're like an older version of myself," Lei commented back with a smile.

Sokka chuckled. The sense of humor was a good start, and a good first impression. "It's great to finally meet you, Lei."

"Good to meet you too Sok-, dad." Lei felt queasy saying that D word, but somehow it just automatically came out.

_Dad. _That was the first time he was called that. The smile on the chairman's face was big, and he tried to hold any tears that pressured to drip out. "Please, come in, son." He wanted to say that S word in return.

For Lei, no other man called him that except for Koji, back when he was dating his mother. The word "son" will probably take some getting used to.

Walking into his father's apartment, Lei was impressed with the interior. The place was clean with a water tribe feeling to it. It was simple yet culturally designed. Lei was never really exposed to water tribe culture, even though half his blood contains it. Looks like he has a lot to learn from his father.

Seeing that his son had a small smile on his face while examining his apartment, Sokka felt at ease. So far, seeing each other for the first time was a spectacular moment. However, his heart still ached. He wished the first time he saw his child was the day he was born, not when he's a matured young man. Lei grew to become a fine young man without a father, and that notion hits Sokka hard every time.

It was hard pushing these thoughts to the back of his mind, but Sokka had to. He can't get emotional on the day he first meets his son. Or can he? He wonders which event was more thrilling: seeing his ex-wife after eighteen years or meeting his son for the first time? Both the events evoked similar emotions from Sokka in different ways.

"Pretty nice place you got here Sokka."

"Oh, thanks," Sokka replied when Lei snapped him out of his thoughts yet again, "You know, you don't have to call me Sokka."

Lei didn't even realized he called him by his name. Despite the fact that he called him 'dad' earlier, it was still going to take some time to get used to without forcing the word to come out. "Right, sorry Sok- err... dad! Sorry dad."

He wouldn't be lying if he said it hurt him to see his son call him by his name and not 'dad." It also hurt to see him trying to say that word out loud. Then again, wouldn't any father be hurt? In this case, he and Lei met for the first time. Sokka knew getting him to say that word involuntarily will take some time, but he's determined to gain the title, _dad_.

Suddenly, a small growl was heard from Lei's stomach.

"Dang, I should've ate a bigger breakfast this morning."

"How about I take you out for a nice lunch?" Sokka offered happily, "I know a place that will fill us. Do you like meat?"

"Do I like meat?!" Lei responded back abruptly, "That's a stupid question. Meat is my life."

_Alright, another similarity between a father and a son. _Sokka laughed, "Come on Lei. Let's go stuff ourselves."

* * *

"Mariko, where are you taking us?"

"Be patient Kya," the acolyte answered kindly to the little waterbender, "It's a surprise."

"I like surprises!" Little Tenzin exclaimed.

Bumi remained skeptical. Why is Mariko leading him and his siblings somewhere for a "surprise?" Based on the events that have happened lately, he has a good feeling he knows what this so called surprise really is.

Mariko guided them to the dining hall. At this time, many of the acolytes have lunch, with the Avatar's family joining whenever they want. It was like the dining hall of Air Temple Island was a buffet, and the food is free to any acolytes or anyone related to the Avatar.

Finally, the four approached the dining hall. Mariko opened the door, and the kids found almost every table filled with each having their own separate conversations. They noticed their parents sitting with a woman who seem to be of Earth Kingdom descent, whom they automatically assumed was their guest. Food was already prepared as well.

Mariko guided them to the table and they all took their seats.

"Kids, we would like you to meet our guest," their mother told them, "This is Suki."

"Aunt Suki," Aang spoke with a grin on his face.

"Aunt?" Both Kya and Tenzin asked confusedly, with Bumi giving a half-smile towards their bewildered reaction.

"Yep, I'm your aunt-in-law, but call me your aunt," Suki told the kids happily, "It's nice to finally meet you guys. I heard lots of great things from you."

"Wow! You're our aunt? How come we never met you before?" Kya asked curiously.

The three adults exchanged nervous glances. Of course, they don't want these young children to know the real reason to why they just met Suki. It was bad enough Bumi had the idea, though he was old enough to be mature about it.

Aang decided to quickly shift the topic to a new direction, "Aunt Suki's all the way from Kyoshi Island princess. We've managed to get in touch."

"Kyoshi Island?! Wow that's so far away!"

Suki found Kya's voluble personality to be extremely adorable. She wanted to just pinch her cheeks. "That's right," she giggles, "I come from a place where you can surf on giant koi fishes."

That commented elicited a "NO WAY" response from Kya as well as a "COOL" response from Tenzin. They've always wanted to do something as fun and daring as riding on koi fishes.

"Maybe one day you guys can visit Kyoshi Island," she suggested, "It'll be fun."

Both the young children happily answered yes, with Bumi giving a simple shrug with his shoulders.

"By the way, Aunt Suki, do you have any kids?" Bumi asked sarcastically, grinning as widely as he can while his parents gave him an annoyed glance.

"Yes I do," Suki stated, "His name is Lei, only a few years older than you."

Suki knew the purpose of Bumi's sarcasm. Katara already told her that he met her son. Apparently, they got along well. That was some good news to hear.

"So does that mean he's our cousin?" Tenzin asked.

"Why yes little man," Suki answered. She also found him to be really adorable, "As a matter of fact, you'll meet him soon. He's in the city right now."

"I want to meet to meet him!" Kya exclaimed, "And how about his father? That would mean he's our uncle right?"

Suki didn't know how to respond to that, nor did Aang or Katara. They were afraid that this type of question would come up, and they were definitely caught off guard.

"Don't worry Kya, you'll meet him," Bumi assured, "It's definitely a surprise. Chances are we're going to be so happy with the surprise." He gave his parents and Suki a wink, understanding that no one wants to shift the conversation into a complicated topic.

The adults were relieved that Bumi made a smart move. His father mouthed a "thank you" towards him. The only problem was, how will the two react when they find out the uncle is Sokka? At least Bumi was able to allow everyone to evade the topic for now.

"So about Lei," Bumi continued talking with a mocking tone , "He must be an awesome guy right?"

Suki rolled her eyes and giggled. They both know that Bumi already met Lei. "Yes indeed. He's funny, brave, and knows how to fight with swords."

Kya and Tenzin's mouth opened. They never met anyone who knew how to fight with swords aside from their Uncle Sokka and Bumi. They found it entertaining how someone can learn some many movements with such a lethal weapon.

"Cool!" Kya shouted, "I want to see him do tricks!"

"Me too!" Tenzin added.

Everyone in the table laughed at the young children's adorable comments. Suki felt content to know that the kids bared no ill-mannered personality what so ever. Katara and Aang did a good job on raising them. This gives her hope that her stay at Republic City will be just fine.

* * *

Needless to say, Sokka and Lei had a stomach-fulfilling experience at Han's Grille, a Fire Nation cuisine. This restaurant was located in a busy area of downtown, but being the councilman of the city, Sokka would always be a priority when he's the customer. This restaurant is the type of place for anyone who loves eating meat. Since it's a Fire Nation cuisine, it was obvious that this place was well known for exotic spices and a variety of meats. Along with Hong's restaurant, Han's Grille was also one of his favorites places in the city. Judging by the looks of it, Lei seemed to be enjoying the place as well.

"So any restaurant you go to, the waiters always seat you first and you get to skip long lines?" Lei asked his father as he continued taking bites from his sweat and sour chicken.

"That's correct," his father replied while eating his favorite meal, spicy roasted chicken with a side of rice and dumplings.

"Lucky ass."

Both the father and son shared another one of many small laughs they've had. So far, they were able to a have friendly conversation. Lei would ask him about his job and the city, while Sokka would ask him about school and what he thinks about Republic City. They would describe to each other about their opinions and personalities, while occasionally throwing sarcastic remarks at each other.

It was until they finished their meals that the conversation became more in-depth. Once the plates in front of them were empty and their stomachs were full, Lei decided to carry on their talk while they sit and digest.

"So, how about your family and friends? Can you tell me about them?" Lei wanted to know how he would describe his loved ones. That's the first thing to ask if he were to know what type of man he is.

Sokka was quite caught off guard. How was he going to answer this? Of course he loves his family, but his own son, whom he just met right now, instantly came in the picture. He'll give his honest answer about the family and friends he love so much, but he hopes Lei doesn't steer the conversation to him and Suki.

"I have a good amount of friends here, but the closest ones to me are the ones I became friends with during the war," he answered. "Aang, Zuko and Toph are some of my best friends ever. There's also Mai and Ty Lee, and of course, your mother," Sokka paused briefly when he realized he mentioned Suki. That made him nervous. What if Lei decided to ask about him and Suki's relationship? Pushing the thoughts to the back of his mind before Lei became skeptical, Sokka continued, " My best friends, my sister Katara, and even my dad, we all helped ended the war and had each other's backs. They all mean the world to me."

"The whole world to you huh? Must be nice," Lei commented sedately. Of course, he had friends back on Kyoshi Island, but aside from Jia, he never really had someone so close to him. Sokka seemed to have a bunch.

On the other hand, Sokka fidgeted when he heard the way Lei responded. Did he accidently imply that him and Suki weren't the world to him? It confused him, because he wanted Lei to mean the world to him too. However, he just met Lei right now, so he'd be lying if he said that he felt Lei was the whole world to him. That logic also pained him, because he hasn't gotten to know his own son yet.

"How about you? Any loved ones down at Kyoshi Island?" That was the first question to come to Sokka's mind in order to shift the direction of the conversation.

Lei looked away at his empty plate for a few seconds and silently took a breath, "I do have a good amount of friends there, but aside from one person, I don't really call them "best friends." So I guess I'm not like you. That's why I said it must be nice for you."

Hearing his sullen response made him feel sad. No one wonder why he seemed tense after Sokka told him his family and friends were his whole world.

"But I'm alright with it though," Lei added, "My mother is the best mother in the world. And my best friend knows how to make my world go round and round. I'm thankful for them each and every day of my life."

Sokka smiled at his son's powerful words. Seeing Lei with such a positive attitude made him very admirable, and Sokka just loved that. For the first time, he felt proud of his son.

"That's very good Lei. Very good. It makes me glad to hear something like that."

"Thanks, dad."

Lei said the D word once again, but this time, without any queasy feeling. Hearing that D word made Sokka happy.

"Tell me about your best friend. What about him or her that makes your world go round and round?"

"Well let's see," Lei thought as he prepared to answer. That was an easy question, "She's really funny and has a very friendly personality. She's always in a rush to help people in need, and she's always there for you when you need her."

"She?" Sokka asked with a curious grin on his face.

"Yeah, she. Her name is Jia."

"Jia? By any chance, is she Ty Lee and Haru's daughter?"

"Yep, that's correct. Oh so you heard of her?"

"Yeah, Ty Lee messaged Mai about it the after the day she was born. Zuko told me. I never got to meet her, but she sounds awesome," his father commented with a smile and a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah she is," Lei replied, completely oblivious to his father's skeptical glares, "She's really pretty too. You see her, and all of a sudden you're day gets better. It's like walking alone in the rain. It's so gloomy, but once the sun is out, everything is better. Just like Jia, everything is better when she's around."

Lei clearly enjoyed describing her, and his mind was clearly preoccupied. Sokka can tell by looking at his eyes. There were definitely feelings he had for this girl that seemed way more than a "best friend."

"That's such a description there Lei," Sokka stated, still smiling.

"Yeah, now you know why she's my best friend."

"She sounds more than a best friend to me."

Snapping out of thoughts, Lei was quite taken aback. "Wha-what do you mean?"

Sokka laughed at the red in his cheeks. "This girl, Jia, she sounds really special. Hang on to her Lei."

Lei felt the temperature in his body rising significantly. _Is he trying to imply that I'm in love or something? _"She's just my friend. My best friend. So of course I'll hang on to her._"_

"Well let's just say I felt that way before," Sokka added, "It's how I felt when I was with Suki."

For some reason, that came out unexpectedly. Like he told himself earlier, he didn't want to steer the conversation into something controversial. Yet somehow, it just did. All of a sudden, the air around them turned even more tense.

"So... what was it like meeting mom?"

Sokka was sure caught off guard more than ever. He wasn't prepared to have this type of a conversation with his son, especially at the first meeting. While Lei would just stare at him, waiting for a response, Sokka still looked down on his plate and figured what to say. He started this topic, might as well say the truth.

"At first, I did not have the most pleasant meeting when I first met your mom," he answered. "I was fifteen when Katara, Aang and I were ambushed by Suki and the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors at the time." He chuckled when he saw Lei completely surprised by the three of them being ambushed by his mother. "Anyway, turns out they thought we were Fire Nation spies, but Aang later proved to them that he was the Avatar. As for me, I just couldn't believe that I was ambushed by a bunch of girls. At that time, I was so immature and egotistic. Even when Suki apologized about the ambush, I told her that I'll let it slide since they're a bunch of girls. Eventually, Suki challenged me to a fight, and to my surprise, she beated my ass." This time, Lei chuckled. "Yeah yeah, well as I was saying, I went back to Suki and apologized. That time, I wanted to learn from her, and what did you know? She taught me a lot."

Lei remembered his mother telling him that same exact thing. He was glad to see his father proclaiming it. "That's what mom told me. Apparently that was the time when Zuko attacked the village, right?"

"Yep, back when Zuko was our enemy," he replied. "That was the first time she kissed me in the cheek. The second time was when we met again while waiting to board small ships to Ba Sing Se. That was the first time I saw her without makeup, and I saw for the first time how beautiful she was."

Though he was not into looking at guys drooling over women, especially ones as old as his father, Lei wasn't bothered to see that his father was distracted by the thoughts of his mother. Any teenager would find this strange, but being that this man left his mother and still thinks of her positively, it gave Lei hope. That was the thing that made him feel uneasy: feeling hopeful for a father that left his mother eighteen years ago.

"She went with us on our journey though the Serpent's Pass," Sokka continued, unbeknownst to Lei contemplating with his own thoughts himself, "That was when we shared our first kiss. It was amazing. I didn't want us to part, but we had to deal with our separate duties. It was later when Zuko and I went to the Boiling Rock prison where I found her and saved her. Turns out, she was still badass and helped us kidnap the warden when we escaped that prison. There is no really no woman like her out there. I went from thinking she's just a harmless girl, into marveling over the notion that she's a fierce warrior."

And that was the full on truth. Sokka thought it was best to leave the conversation there. As much as he would love to explain how he fell for Suki even harder over the years, he didn't want to lead to the point where they're marriage started to fall apart.

"Well I'm glad you guys found each other again," Lei stated. For some reason, he just let those words come out of his mouth.

After being in awe from his statement, Sokka found it hard to wipe the smile from his own face. "Thank you Lei. And I'm glad that I found you as well."

Lei smiled. _I guess this guy isn't so bad after all._


	13. The Meeting: Part 3

The day went smoothly between the chairman of the city and the young warrior from Kyoshi Island. It started off with a nice conversation at Han's Grille, then Lei was given a tour of the city's most famous landmarks, and now, they were both in Sokka's private dojo.

The dojo was located a few blocks from his apartment, next to the gym that he also visits frequently. To him, lifting weights is important not only to maintain muscle mass, but to remain attractive (as he likes to think). Moreover, looking at Lei, he can tell his son is definitely the type to hit the gym. It's no surprise that Suki told him that girls would stare at him. Secretly, this logic made Sokka proud. After all, what father does not feel proud of his son being a ladies' man? As long as he doesn't make it into a bad habit, something he himself made a mistake of doing occasionally ever since his break up with Suki.

The main reason they were here in this dojo was because of their interest in swords. Sokka would always come here often to practice his techniques and hopefully discover new movements. Though the war ended years ago, the adult warrior still knows his fighting styles like the back of his hands.

"This place is really cool," Lei commented. The room looked similar to the dojo back at Kyoshi Island: a simple room with wooden walls and a wooden floor. There was also a rack with at least ten different swords, five different nunchucks hanging on the wall, and a small dresser that no doubt contains the proper sportswear. The swords were what Lei looked at the most.

"Thanks," Sokka replied, "I spend lots of time here."

"I wish I brought my katana here," the younger warrior addressed, though he hoped his father would let him use one of his.

"Oh come on!" His father exclaimed, much to Lei's delight, "There's ten swords over there Lei. How about we change into some clothes and gear from that dresser over there and show each other what we got eh?"

"Sounds good to me."

After less than five minutes, both father and son were in the proper clothing and protective armor. For the first time ever, they would show each other their knowledge of the way of the sword. This is something Sokka wished he had done. He wished he was the one guiding Lei all these years. Even though he never got the chance, what happened was all in the past. Nonetheless, he was still eager to see what skills his son possessed.

Sokka chose his special "space sword." Much to his surprise, Master Piandao still had that giant space rock in his yard, and Sokka was able to make another sword. On the other hand, Lei chose the silver and sleek katana, skinnier than Sokka's sword but much more sharp.

"Tell me Lei, what do you like most about swords?"

Lei smiled. This is a question he loves to answer. "Most people see swords as a weapon, but I see it as the greatest defense. Nowadays, you can never be a hundred percent sure you're safe no matter where you are. You might be around thugs, criminals, or people you thought you were close to until they reveal their true colors. However, what you want them to know is that you won't let them walk all over you. In my case, I will never let people think I'm weak. Even though I choose to be kind and friendly, you don't want to mess with me or anyone around me. This is why I choose the katana. So simple, so sleek, but yet so sharp. Anyone who wants to attack me, or dare harms people I love, will get millions of cuts. And that's what I call taking it easy."

Sokka was taken by surprise with such a well thought out explanation of his son's interest in sword. All the older warrior could do was clap his hands, eliciting a smile from his son. Never before has he heard such strong, yet threatening words from a young man. For him, swords were not about combat; It's about defense.

"Now Lei," Sokka said as he pointed his sword at him, "Show me what you got."

"With pleasure."

And the father and son spent the rest of the evening sword fighting. Needless to say, each were impressed with the tricks the other can perform. If it wasn't for the protective gear they were wearing, Sokka and Lei would have cuts all over their body. Yet, both father and son seemed to have a great time.

The way of the swords are what makes these men warriors. Now, it is a way for them to bond.

* * *

Aang, Katara and Suki enjoyed the rest of their night catching up on things while the kids were off doing their own stuff. Bumi went to hang with Zhang in the city, Kya went to play with her dolls, and Tenzin was being fed an early meal by Mariko.

For the three adults, this was the first time they had a normal conversation. Lots of chatting, laughter, and even gossip. The last time they had this type of conversation with Suki was back in their teenage years. Oh how they missed Suki.

The Kyoshi Warrior herself also cherished this moment. Not only was she able to ease things with Sokka, but she was able to see her old friends again. Before she arrived in Republic City, she felt uneasy about how things will take place. Instead, she and Sokka agreed to start all over, Lei seemed to be well-liked, and her friends welcomed her with opened arms.

"Well well, look who we have here."

The three adults turned around, and Suki gasped. Though most of her friends welcomed her, there was one whom she hasn't had the chance to talk to yet. And here she is: Toph, and a little girl standing right beside her.

" Aang, you know where Tenzin is? Lin could use some company while the adults have a talk."

"Uhhhhhhh," Aang was surprised. This was so like Toph to just come in out of nowhere and demand things. However, he along with Katara knew this was going to get pretty intense, realizing they had left Toph out of everything. "He's over at the main house in the dining hall."

"Oh okay," the blind earthbender replied while she noticed an acolyte walking in the distance, "Excuse me!"

The acolyte turned around to see the master earthbender calling him, and he rushed quickly towards her gesture.

"Do you mind if you escort my daughter to the dining hall? She wants to see Tenzin."

"No problem Master Toph," he replied, giving his hand to Lin so he can bring her.

"Go on Linny, I'll call you when we're done here."

"Okay mommy, take as much time as you need!" Lin exclaimed, obviously wanting her mother to stay awhile so she can play with Tenzin.

Now that her daughter was out of sight, it was time to get to the real deal. "So, Suki, you're back," she stated somewhat coldly.

Suki wanted to give her a big hug. However, due to her unpleasant demeanor, she didn't think now was the right moment. "Yeah, I am back," she said as calm as she can, "Great to see you again, Toph."

"Mhmmm, and it was nice that I was informed you were coming," she added sarcastically while averting her head towards Aang and Katara. Aang awkwardly smiled while scratching the back of his head while Katara avoided her blind stare.

"Toph," Suki spoke softly, "I've missed you so much."

"But you decided to keep in contact with all the others right? But not me, not even once."

As sharp and on point Toph's statement was, Suki noticed a sign of hurt within her angry tone. "I'm sorry. When I chose to come here, I was so stressed about seeing everyone again. I was lucky to have Ty Lee get me in contact with Aang and Katara. I'm sorry, but believe me when I tell you I'm so happy to see you again."

Suki hopes Toph can feel her sincerity. She can tell if someone is lying easily, so hopefully she knows Suki's statement is the full-on truth.

Thankfully for Suki, Toph sensed no ounce of lies within her words at all. Though it mended her heart a little, she still had bitter resentment for her friends for leaving her out. "Not only have I haven't heard from you forever Suki, but I also barely get the chance to see twinkle toes and sugar queen that much either. And all of a sudden, you're back and everyone's happy. Everyone planned it. Too bad I didn't know shit."

Katara truly felt for her. She can't believe she hadn't told Toph anything at all, and she didn't realize until now. Toph must feel backstabbed, and it pains Katara to know she accidently left a best friend out of this.

This time, it was Katara's turn to speak up. "Toph, we're both so sorry for leaving you out on this."

Toph gave an annoyed grunt and if she wasn't blind, she would've rolled her eyes. Hearing apologies was starting to annoy her.

Katara noticed her attitude, but continued anyway, "It was selfish of us. You're our good friend, and we were so foolish to leave you out of all this. I'm so sorry for not even mentioning any of this. You deserve way better."

The blind earthbender still had her arms across her chest. She knows that her friends are sincere with her apology, but it still hurt that they never even thought of her.

"Toph," Aang spoke, "We suck. We're stupid. We're the dumbest best friends ever. We totally deserve a slap in the face with those metal cables you have on right now."

Toph gave a smirk. "Apology accepted. You're lucky you gave that apology twinkle toes. Sparky tried it on me earlier and it worked."

The three adults laughed, especially Suki. It's great to know Toph never change. Thank goodness Toph was the type to let things slide. She was never the dramatic type.

"So, Toph," Suki spoke silently, "Can I still give you a hug?"

"Oh why not, get over here!"

Suki rushed over to give her a nice, tight hug. Though Toph wasn't a big fan of these types of hugs, she allowed it for Suki's sake. She too missed the Kyoshi Warrior.

After they separated from their embrace, Toph claimed, "Looks like we have lots of catching up to do."

* * *

Both the father and son had a great first meeting. No fights, no resentments, and no awkward tensions (mostly). The whole night consisted of laughter, fun, and most importantly, the beginning of a love that a father and son should always share. Getting to meet each other for the first time tended to be a unique experience for both Sokka and Lei.

It was Lei who found himself surprised with his feelings. Here he is, walking back home with his biological father and thinking that he's a cool guy. Previously, he was not looking forward to meeting this man at all. Boy was he wrong, and he was happy Sokka proved him that.

As they approached the dock, Lei wrapped it up for the night, "I had a good time today, dad."

Sokka smiled and wrapped his arms around him. To him, it felt great to have his son in his arms. It pained him desperately to know that he hadn't had the chance to carry him as an infant. He missed out on his son's birth, and the seventeen birthdays that followed.

When a father first see's his child, it is common for him to cry. For Sokka, he wanted to cry now. No amount of words can describe his happiness when he met his son for the first time, but no amount of words can describe how saddened he is for not being able to raise a brilliant young man.

"I had a good time too, son," he spoke back as he tried to hold his tears.

Lei could hear that his father choked out his words. Clearly, today was also an emotional experience for the both of them. After pulling back from their embrace, Lei could see the wetness in his father's eyes. He too tried his best to hold back any tears, for he wasn't the type to let his emotions out. Moreover, he was happy to see the tears in his eyes, because it showed that he actually cares about being a father.

"I guess I should get going," Lei told him. In a way, telling his father he had to leave was a good way to avoid any emotions, for Lei wasn't ready for tears. On the other hand, it pained him to suddenly leave his father like that. He is a good man.

"Alright, and I'll see you," his father replied back with a small, yet meaningful smile. "I won't stop seeing you no matter what."

Lei smiled back, feeling a strong sense of happiness take over him. Never before has he felt this feeling of contentment. This is probably what it feels like to have a dad.

"Good."

That was all he can tell his father, letting him smile even brighter.

Finally, Lei boarded the ferry while waving his last goodbye for the night.

He finally got the chance to see his father. Looks like from now on, he has someone to call "dad." From now on, things look like it'll turn out better.

At least he hopes.


	14. Positive Vibes

**The title of this chapter tells a lot. :D**

**Drama will happen though, so stay tuned!**

* * *

Lei woke up to the sunlight beaming at his face. It is another morning here in Republic City, and for the first time ever on his vacation, Lei was able to wake up with a smile.

If people were to tell him a few days ago that meeting his long lost family will be a very pleasant experience, Lei would have laughed right in their face. As matter of fact, he dreaded the day he would ever have to meet these people. If he were to come to Republic City, it would just be for sight-seeing.

But now, looks like he was proven dead wrong. During the previous three days, he's met some amazing people. His uncle and aunt, aside from being the Avatar and a master waterbender, are a wonderful couple. His cousin Bumi is very cool and funny, and his friend Zhang is a nice guy too. Tenzin and Kya were adorable of course. And last but not least, his father Sokka isn't as bad as he thought he would be.

The young warrior got out of bed and walked towards the window, opening it to allow fresh air to come in. He laid his arms on the edge and gazed out towards the plaza. He can see a bunch of acolytes walking back and forth, while the bison and the lemurs would fly around minding their own business. The weekend is over, so looks like it's back to busy schedules for everyone.

_Heh, typical Republic City lifestyle._

Yet, Lei still looks forward to spending more days here at Republic City. There will be more weekends, and still plenty of time on the weekdays to catch up with people. Things seem to be going well so far.

"Lei, you awake sweetheart?" He heard his mother asking through the door.

"Come in mom."

Suki opened the door to find her son looking out the window. It's no surprise that he was awake this early of course. "I figured you'd be awake."

"Yeah, I had a good sleep," he replied happily.

This was good news to Suki. If he had a good sleep last night, then he most likely had a good time with his father. "So... things went well?"

"Very well," Lei answered simply yet delightfully.

A bright smile appeared on Suki's face. She took a seat on the side of Lei's guest bed and looked over at her son. Though his back was turned towards her, she can tell Lei was in a good mood. "Care to tell me about it?"

Lei turned around with his back leaning against the wall. He smiled at his mother, who was already smiling back at him. Then, he told her everything. From the first encounter to the playful swordfight, and of course, everything in between.

Suki herself felt happy for them. Her son, who never wanted to meet his father in the first place, is actually taking a liking towards Sokka. The way he described his first meeting showed he really enjoyed meeting his father. It seemed that he had lots of enthusiasm when talking about meeting him.

"You and your father seemed to have got along well."

"Yeah, we did. He turned out to be an awesome guy. I guess I was a little too judgmental at first," he admitted.

Suki felt the same, "I guess I was too." She knew that if she wasn't stubborn about letting Sokka knew she was pregnant in the first place, Sokka would have raised Lei by now. Though things seem to be going well right at the moment, she still felt that guilt. Nonetheless, she tried her best to swallow the lump in her throat and hope for the best between her son and his father.

Lei noticed his mother contemplating her thoughts. First she seemed ecstatic, and now she seems distracted. There is no doubt she is thinking about the event eighteen years ago, most specifically during the time she was pregnant with him. He knows that there is definitely a part of her that blames herself for him not having a father in his life. Even though she never told him word for word, he can sense it.

The young warrior then walked towards his bed and took a seat next to his mother, "What happened in the past, it's over mom. Now, things seem to be picking up. Don't you think?"

Suki was glad things went well. The only thing that bothers her is that it took eighteen years. "Things do seem like they're getting better," she answered somewhat sedately, "I just wished I could have done things differently in the past."

"Like I said mom, it's over," Lei stated, "We should focus on what's to come. I can tell you right now that I'm glad I met my father, and I'm looking forward to spending more days at Republic City."

Suki turned to her son and smiled. This is what she's always wanted: to have her son getting along with his father, and to have herself get along with him too. It makes her feel content that their first meeting was a good one.

"Thank you Lei."

"For what?" he asked curiously, with one eyebrow up.

She smiled at his expression. He looked so much like his father that it made Suki's hearth clench, in a good way of course. "For coming with me on this trip. For making sure I would be okay. Really though, I wanted to make sure you'd be okay coming with me. And now, it seems like things are going well. So thank you, and I'm so proud of you."

Lei smiled. Nothing makes him happier than making his own mother proud. "No problem mom," he replied as he noticed his mother's eyes getting wet, "Uhhhh, you're not going to cry right?"

Suki giggled, "Come here you," she said as she encased her son in a hug.

Just then, Bumi came knocking on the door. "Hey Lei, you're definitely awake by now right?"

After pulling out from their hug, both the mother and son chuckled. Bumi knows by now that Lei is a morning person.

Lei got up and opened the door. "Sup Bumi!"

"Hey!" He replied back while noticing Suki, "Oh, good morning Aunt Suki!"

"Good morning Bumi," she replied kindly.

"So Lei, Zhang is having an early sword match over at downtown in an hour. I wanted to ask if you wanted to come. Then we can chill somewhere?"

"I would love to!" He exclaimed as he turned to his mother, "Can I?"

His mother motioned at him to "go along," eliciting excitement from her son and his cousin. After getting his clothes, Lei went to take a quick shower while Bumi went to wait for him at the dock.

Suki walked back to her room. On her way, she kept thinking of how happy she was for Lei. Finally, he chose to meet his father, and it turned out to be a pleasant experience. Of course, if Lei was that happy, then Sokka definitely did something right.

_Maybe I should pay him a visit tonight and say thanks._

* * *

"We discussed with the Fire Nation representatives about the shipments and they were overjoyed!" Chin stated cheerfully, "As of now, many shipments are starting to export and some are already on their way. This is actually one of our greatest global successes."

"Fantastic," Zuko added, "The Fire Nation would really benefit from this. How about we all give Chairman Sokka a round of applause eh?"

All the representatives and the Firelord clapped their hands and shouted compliments at the Southern Water Tribe warrior. It's actually quite common for him to receive warm gestures from his coworkers, but never before did he have the whole room clapped their hands from him.

"Oh stop," Sokka interrupted while raising his hand, "You guys are making me blush."

"You're the one with the intelligence Sokka," Tao stated, "I don't know what the council will do without you."

"I agree," Heng added, "If it wasn't for you, things in City Hall would progress much more slowly."

Everyone else in the room agreed and gave their smiles to Sokka. For him, achievements meant a lot. It helps show the progress he's making and prompts him to achieve even more successes. That's definitely something he's been doing his whole life.

"I thank you all for your kind words and compliments," Sokka added while he stood up from his seat, "But I would like to say that I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for each and every one of you. My ideas, my goals, and my purposes would never be fulfilled if neither one of you helped accomplished them. So now it's my turn to say thanks, and how about this time, all of you give yourselves a round of applause!" He exclaimed as he clapped his hands for his fellow representatives.

The rest of the room clapped their hands in pursuit, for the chairman's thanks and for each other.

Sokka smiled at his representatives, his friends. Though they weren't his best friends, they still meant a lot to him. "Well, since the evening is approaching in less than a few hours and today's meeting has already been successful, looks like we're having an early dismissal," he addressed as the everyone in the room nodded their heads delightfully, "Have a nice day gentlemen."

Everyone got up and said their casual farewells before heading out of city hall. Of course, Sokka, being the chairman, would always stop by his office to review some papers before calling it a day.

"So how does the chairman feel abou- wait was I suppose to knock again?"

Sokka looked up the Firelord and giggled, "Yeah, but I'll allow it for today. Firelord or not, the chairman deserves the proper respect."

Zuko laughed. Typical Sokka. "Looks like Mr. Successful right here is happy we all went through with his idea."

"Not tying to brag, but Tao and Heng did mention that the council would barely progress without me didn't they?" He commented humorously, allowing the Firelord to chuckle, "But really though, I really meant it when I said that all of this would be meaningless if it weren't for you guys."

"Don't mention it Sokka. I'm glad that after all these years, we're still working together."

"Yeah, and we're doing a damn good job aren't we?"

"Yes, yes we are," Zuko stated. If it's something that Zuko realized, it was Sokka in a very positive mood. He expected the weekend to be dramatic, but looks like it did not turn out that way. He even expected Sokka to be mad at him, since him and the others planned a surprise interaction with Suki. "By the way, how was your weekend?"

Sokka paused and looked at Zuko, who was showing a curious yet nervous look on his face. Sokka chuckled, "Let's just say I was taken by surprise, but hey, thanks for not lying about the roasted chicken Aang prepared for dinner."

"Oh, so it was really was roasted chicken then? I mean... Oh shit." The Firelord said as he slapped his forehead.

"Wow Zuko, you're bad at this," Sokka stated as he laughed, "But yeah, my weekend went very well."

"I'm glad," Zuko replied, "And I'm sorry for surprising you like that. You know, about Suki..."

"No worries. Honestly, I'm glad that you, Aang, Katara and Suki all planned this out. Much kudos to you guys."

"Really? You're glad?" The Firelord was surprised. He would at least expected him to be mad at someone for setting him up with Suki, not to mention that meeting her would possibly take a dramatic turn. However, it doesn't seem that way judging by Sokka's mood.

"I'm back together with her," the water tribe warrior stated simply with a smile.

"What?! No way! That was fast!"

Sokka chuckled at his surprised reaction. He agreed that it was fast, but nonetheless, he was happy that Suki came back to his life. There were lots of mistakes that had to be fixed.

"So... you're okay with everything?" The Firelord asked curiously once more.

Sokka paused briefly. The fact that he missed out on raising Lei still lingered around his mind, and he doesn't know whether to blame himself or Suki. "Things were tense at first... Very tense. You know about Lei?"

Zuko looked at Sokka sympathetically. "I do," he answered quietly, "We found out quite recently."

"Yeah, I was not in the best of moods when I was told I had a son that I never knew of."

The Firelord didn't bother commenting on this subject, for he did not know what to say. He can assume that Sokka did not take it lightly. Heck, Zuko himself wouldn't be too if he were in his shoes.

"I'm sorry Sokka," Zuko said solemnly. That was all he could say.

"Thanks Zuko," the water tribe warrior replied sedately, "But it's all good. I met him yesterday."

Zuko was once again surprised, "Really?"

"Yep," Sokka answered as he slowly smiled, "I finally met him."

"How'd it go?"

"Very, very well," Sokka stated as he looked at his best friend with a smile.

For Zuko, that was good news. Things definitely were dramatic when he found out about Lei, no doubt about that. Yet, the Firelord still felt content that Sokka had a good time with his son.

"So, tell me about it. What was Lei like?"

Sokka thought about the good times he had with his son yesterday as he began to tell Zuko, "Intelligent, wise, skillful, a sense of humor, and to top it off, another version of me but younger and a little shorter."

Zuko chuckled happily for his best friend, "Another version of you? Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"Depends on how you look at it," Sokka added as he giggled, "But all I can say is, I'm glad I met the kid. I had an awesome time yesterday."

Zuko walked over to Sokka and placed a hand on his shoulder, "I'm so glad to hear that Sokka."

"Thanks Zuko," he responded contently, "He proved to be a good son even though I just met him. Now all I have to do is prove to him that I'm a good father."

"You will do just that, Sokka," the Firelord told him sincerely, "I have faith in you. The fact that you had a good time yesterday is just the beginning. You'll continue to have these times, and Lei will be proud that he has a father like you. Just like how I'm glad that you're my best friend."

Sokka looked at him and could feel his eyes getting slightly wet. "Hey, I'm a man Zuko. Don't get me emotional right now."

Zuko laughed and patted his friend on the back, "Awwww big brave Sokka wants to cry?"

"Shut up and give me a hug," he replied as he gave his friend a strong, manly hug.

"Come on, let's go have our casual meal at Hong's," Zuko told him.

"Definitely down for that."

* * *

Republic City is always bustling with energy. That is something Lei admired about this place. No matter what time it is, there's always people walking on the sidewalks, as well as carriages and mobiles on the streets. It seems that this city never sleeps. There was always something to do, and that's what Lei loves about Republic City.

Lei and Bumi enjoyed watching Zhang's sword match earlier this morning. It's a coincidence that the three of them have an interest in swords, especially Lei and Zhang. Bumi in particular never felt that much of a passion for sword fighting, as he told his father a few days ago, but he decided not to tell Lei and Zhang at this time.

After spending hours frolicking around the city doing their casual stuff, which included messing around with thugs and flirting with girls, Lei was able to convince the other two to eat at Han's Grille. Bumi knows of the place because his Uncle Sokka took him once, so it was easy for him to say yes to such a good restaurant.

"Damn, I can't believe I never heard of this place," Zhang stated, "The chicken here legit gives an orgasm in my mouth!"

"Agreed!" Bumi replied, "The meats here are basically food porn."

Lei laughed along, "I know right. I'm so horny that I need more."

The three teens laughed together. They all relate in many ways when it comes to personalities. That is a reason why they all get along so well.

"So Lei," Bumi spoke to his cousin, "What was it like meeting Uncle Sokka?"

"Well, to start, you're uncle's a pretty cool guy," Lei answered, "I'm actually glad to know a man like that is my biological father."

"See! I told you! Uncle Sokka never lets people down."

"I still can't believe you guys met for the first time," Zhang added, "And yet you guys got along well."

"Yeah, I guess," Lei responded to Zhang's comment, "I wasn't excited to meet him at all in the first place, but I'm glad I decided to man up. Turns out, things went very well, much to my surprise."

"Yep, and I think I overheard something about Sokka and Suki back together," Bumi added, "Am I right?"

"Yeah, they are," Lei answered, "They're boyfriend and girlfriend now. Weird, they went from being a married couple, parted ways, and now back to where they started."

"Hopefully things work out for the best," Bumi stated. He wants everyone in his family to get along.

"I hope so too."

"Hey, at least you guys have parents that can get along," Zhang added, "My parents seem to be very bitter to each other lately. It's kind of getting on my nerves."

"Damn, is everything okay?" Bumi asked curiously while Lei gave him a concerned look.

"I honestly can't tell ya," Zhang answered, "But I'm just gonna stay out of they're business."

"That's a good idea," Lei commented, "Let adults be adults. Eventually it'll slide."

"Thanks Lei."

And together, the three continued eating their meals and carried on with their conversations before heading out to do more fun stuff in the city. To each of the three, it's great to have someone of a similar age to hang with. Though they only met Lei a few days ago, Bumi already finds him to be a great cousin and Zhang thinks he's an awesome friend. All this makes Lei's stay at Republic City much more tolerable.

* * *

It is now night time, and Suki finally made it to Sokka's apartment. Here she is, standing in the doorway. Even though she and Sokka had already settled their main issue, she still felt a little bit nervous. After all, they only met up for two days. The thought of her and Sokka having another issue sometimes lingers in her head long enough to get her mind worked up on it.

Finally suppressing those thoughts to the back of her mind, she knocked on the door.

After a few seconds, there was Sokka, without a shirt.

"Suki... Hi!"

"Hi... Sokka," she tried her best to speak, "May... I come in?"

"Yeah no problem."

Suki walked in, trying to avoid looking at him too much. Boy, he is so handsome and so fit. Surely, she felt her body temperature getting a little hotter than normal.

"Great to have you here tonight," Sokka told her in attempt to spark up a conversation.

"Thanks, and it's great to see you again too," she responded as she blushed.

Sokka felt himself blush as well, "So, what you do yesterday? Caught with up anyone else?" He asked as he took a seat next to her.

Now, Suki felt her body temperature increasing even more. Here is her husband, half-naked, sitting only inches away from her. Though she's not surprised because he rarely wore a shirt in the house when they were married (much to her delight back then), she hasn't been used to this for eighteen years. Not to mention that his body is now more mature and definitely more toned.

"I did... actually," she said, trying to speak without stuttering, "Toph came by the island yesterday."

"Really now?" Sokka asked, curious to how Toph acted when she first saw Suki again, "How did it go?"

"Well first she gave us an attitude because none of us told her about me visiting. Then, Aang gave an apology that pretty much downgraded us. That is when she accepted the apology, then we just caught up on things."

Sokka chuckled, "Typical Toph."

"She doesn't change doesn't she?"

"No she doesn't Suki, no she doesn't."

"And her daughter Lin is so adorable. Her, Kya and Tenzin are the cutest kids ever."

"They are Suki," he replied happily, "Their smiles are enough to brighten your day."

"And it was nice to meet Bumi as well. Clearly he's quite an energetic one right?"

"Yes, yes he is," Sokka giggled, "But also a wise and skilled teenager."

"Just like Lei," Suki added, "Him and Lei are getting along so well."

Sokka was intrigued. He had no idea his son and nephew already started a bond. "Is that so?"

"Mhmmm," she replied in that cute tone Sokka always loved, "They're in the city right now with Bumi's friend."

"Wow, good to see he's making friends already."

"Yep, and speaking of which, I came here to say thanks," she told him passionately.

Sokka raised an eyebrow at her, "For what?"

Suki loved seeing that look on his face. It was the same look Lei gave her earlier. "For being a good father yesterday," she said as she placed her hand on his bare shoulder, "Lei really appreciated it."

"Really?" Sokka asked curiously, feeling excited that he made his son happy.

"Yeah, he told me that meeting you yesterday went very well."

Sokka smiled, "That's exactly what I told Zuko when he asked me. I told him I had a great time meeting Lei yesterday."

Suki smiled back, feeling elated that Sokka felt the same way. "I'm glad you feel that way. I'm glad both of you feel that way."

"So, what did Lei say?" He asked, wanting to know more.

Suki chuckled and began moving her fingers up and down on Sokka's arm. "He told me everything you and him did yesterday. From a tasty meal at Han's Grille to the playful swordfight at your dojo. You guys shared lots of laughter and lots of similarities. He even mentioned how you were an awesome guy, and now he's looking forward to spending more days here in Republic City because of you."

Sokka paused, trying to realize that his long lost son, whom he hasn't seen ever since his birth, actually said this about him. "He really said that?" He asked, his voice quiet yet proud.

Suki giggled at his expression. "Yes Sokka, you really made his day."

Sokka could feel tears trying to form in his eyes, but since he likes to be a tough guy, he tries his best to keep his emotions intact. "That... It... It makes me so happy to hear that."

Suki smiled even brighter. "Thank you so much for letting Lei have a good time yesterday Sokka," she told him as she kissed his shoulder.

Her kiss on his bare skin felt so comfortable to Sokka. "My goal is to try to be the best father ever," he told her, "He proved to me that he's a great son. Everything you told me about him, turned out to be true."

Suki smiled, feeling happy that Sokka took a great liking to her son. Their son. She moved her hand from his arms and towards his bare chest, moving her hand in a circle. "He's a great kid Sokka, the same way you're a great man," she whispered in his ear, "I believe you'll be a great father."

Her voice was so soothing, and her hands on his chest felt so good. Out of all the women in his life, for some reason, only her touch felt comfortable. "He's definitely a great kid because he was raised by an amazing mother," he whispered back into her ear.

Suki blushed. She looked into his eyes as he stared back at her. After what seemed like a long, blissful amount of seconds, they kissed. Their kiss started slowly and tenderly. As the seconds flew by, their kiss grew stronger.

Sokka put his arms around her while Suki could not take her hands off of his toned boy. His chest, his abs, his arms, they all felt so well-built and so comfortable.

He continued kissing her, and then he trailed down to her neck. This is one of the spots the elicits moans from her. He kissed that part forcefully, while letting his tongue slide on her neck every few seconds.

"Oh... Sokka."

He loved hearing that. He loved hearing her moan. He continued kissing her neck while he slid his arms up her blouse, wanting to touch her bare skin.

Realizing what Sokka wanted, Suki slightly nudged him away for a second while she took off her blouse. Finally, Sokka could feel her skin. He continued kissing her on the neck while she continued to moan. His hands were traveling all over her body, the same way her hands were traveling on his.

"I miss your touch so much Suki. So, so much."

"I miss yours too Sokka," she replied as she moaned.

Wanting to go even further, Suki nudged him away again and unhooked her bra, exposing her breasts to him.

_Fuck, she's so beautiful. _He thought to himself. The years were definitely kind to her. She's the same age as him, and she managed to keep a perfectly slim body. Her breasts, her hips, her body matured appropriately. She's hot, and she always will be.

"You're so beautiful," he told her, "So damn beautiful."

"Sokka, take me to your room," she demanded seductively.

And with that, he carried her towards his bedroom. They both fell on his bed and started making out more, even more forcefully. Sokka trailed down from her lips to her neck, then to her breasts.

Suki loved the sensation of his lips on her nipples. It made her moan even more than before, much to Sokka's delight. While Sokka kept doing his work with his mouth, her hands traveled all over his abs and his back. She loved the feeling. It felt so masculine, and it felt even greater to know that this man is hers.

After many long seconds of his pleasure, her hands trailed down his body, unbuttoning his pants.

"Sokka," she said his name in between her moans, "I need you so much."

He went back up to whisper in her ear, "You don't have to ask me twice. I need you just as much."

Sokka gave her another kiss, trailing from her lip down to her navel. He unbuttoned her pants, taking it off and her underwear along with it. Finally, she was naked. He can't help but stare her. _Agni help me. This woman is astonishingly beautiful._

Noticing Sokka staring at her nude body, Suki blushed. "Sokka, I'm waiting," she said seductively and impatiently. Her tone told him that she needed him so much.

Sokka snapped out of his trance and blushed, "Right," he replied with a smile as he took off his own pants. He was fully erect. "May I, Suki?"

"Please do Sokka. Please do."

And to answer her response, he took his erection and placed it inside of her, making her moan louder as she strongly grabbed the bed sheets.

"Oh... Sokka... yes!" She missed him inside of her so much.

Sokka continued thrusting his hips back and forth, allowing her to moan in that voice he loves so dearly. Seeing her shout out in ecstasy, as well as her breasts moving up and down, was enough to bring Sokka over the edge. He loved being inside of her. Eighteen years, and he finally gets to be in this position again.

After almost ten minutes, it was time.

"Sokka, here I come Sokka!" She moaned ever so loudly.

"I'm coming too Suki. Wait a sec," he said as he continued thrusting even faster.

Suki tried her best to wait for him, but it was so hard. The look on his face, hearing him moan, and seeing his abs clench, she just couldn't take it. "Oh... please hurry... you feel so good!"

Her words truly gave him even more pleasure, "Coming Suki... I'm coming... I'm coming..."

Finally, after some seconds, Sokka was ready to explode, "Here I come Suki... Here I come!"

They both moaned their loudest, screaming in ecstasy as they both experience their mutual orgasm. Sokka's climax burst from his body into her, and Suki felt her walls fall apart. It was the best feeling ever. Eighteen years, and they finally get to experience this again.

Sokka fell on his back, breathing in and out.

Suki then laid her head on his chest, also breathing heavily.

"Thank you," Suki spoke in between breaths, "For that."

Sokka kissed the top of her head, "No no, thank you."

They laid on the bed and continued kissing. It seemed like sex was only good when it was between the both of them. This night help proved that they are officially back together. There were no "I love you's," at least not yet, but tonight's experience marked the beginning of a newfound relationship.

A rekindle of a past romance.


	15. Hopeful or Hopefully

The loving couple awoke groaningly to the sunlight shining on their faces. To them, last night was quite an enjoyment. For the past weekend, there was nothing but serious tension. Now, here they are naked in Sokka's bed, with Suki laying her head on Sokka's bare chest.

Sokka slowly opened his eyes and took a good look at Suki, the blankets covering her only from the waist down. She looked so beautiful with the sunlight shining her. It was like an indicator of her natural beauty.

For them, something about the sex last night sparked them differently than before. They weren't young anymore. They're both adults, with their bodies fully matured. Clearly age doesn't define beauty.

Suki herself groaned a little as she woke up before looking up to see her man staring down at her with a smile. That inappropriate, yet handsome smirk of his just knew to her make her blush.

"Good morning handsome," she says as she placed her lips on his.

"Morning beautiful," he replies, his hand sliding from down her waist to her thighs. To him, she is so sleek and slender.

His hand felt comfortable on her, and in response, she let her own hand travel from his chest to his abs. To her, he is so firm and toned. "You were amazing last night," she said seductively.

"Yeah, I know," he replied sarcastically, eliciting a chuckle from his lover while she pinched his nipple, "But only cause I have a gorgeous woman to make me that way."

Suki felt herself blush. Sokka always knew how to make her feel confident.

The couple spent quite awhile fondling each other. To them, it felt great to finally be able to physically connect with such intimacy. Being absent from each other's lives for eighteen years, last night surely proved how much they need each other.

"There's no one quite like you Suki," Sokka whispered in her ear, "No other woman can make me weak like you do."

Suki snuggled even more against his chest, "I can say the same about you Sokka."

Suddenly, a thought popped into Suki's mind. How was his sex life ever since they broke apart eighteen years ago? Did he fall in love with anyone else? Simultaneously, Sokka had the same thought.

"What was your sex life like after all these years?" Suki decided to ask.

Sokka was quite caught off guard, "Oh... Uh..."

"Relax Sokka," Suki chuckled, "It's all in the past. I'm just curious." It wasn't a lie of course. Suki wanted to know. Even though she wouldn't say it, she likes to think she is the best woman for Sokka. If there was any other woman that Sokka had deep feelings for, that would make her feel like she's in a competition. Just thinking about Hu Li made her feel that way.

Sokka took a deep breath, "It's not really something I'm proud of. When I was single, I started dating. Then as I got older, for some reason my hormones took the best of me. I started hooking up with a girl once in a while. You already know about Hu Li. Heck, I even participated in a threesome for crying out loud."

Sokka wanted to cover his mouth when he realized what he just said, as well as seeing the shocked and disgusted facial expression on Suki's face. "Like I said, not something I'm proud of," he was quick to add, "But hey, Zuko said that it's not so bad cause the total amount of woman I've slept with was less than twenty."

When Suki glanced at him weirdly, Sokka added, "Yeah, that didn't exactly make me feel better either."

"What type of sexual activities have you engaged with these women?" Suki asked, not wanting to pressure him but yet desperate to know out of insecurity.

Sokka tensed. _Boy, why is she is getting up all on my face about this? _He really didn't want to make her uncomfortable, but if it's something he remembers about their past relationship, it was that they were always honest. "Ehhh, you know, just your regular sexual intercourse, and some blowjobs now and then, nothing serious." He tried his best to keep himself calm and comedic, yet was failing to do so.

Suki remained silent while her eyes drifted off. Back when she and Sokka were together, they're sex life was amazing. They would do anything with each other. They would always find the time to do so, and they always enjoyed it. Now, hearing him have similar experiences with other woman made her feel a little insecure.

Looking at Suki, Sokka can tell she was feeling a lack of confidence. He can notice her 'insecure face' anytime. No wonder why she kept asking these questions. "Suki, I was just so lonely. I craved love, I craved sex. And you know what? Only you can give it to me. Last night proved that."

Suki looked up to him, her face looking slightly hopeful. As for Sokka, he just loves seeing her happy.

"No one can do it like you do," Sokka added, "No woman can pleasure me like you, make me weak like you, drive me crazy like you, and make me content like you." He held her tighter with his arm, allowing their naked bodies to snuggle in closer.

Suki chuckled softly at the gesture and kind words, and she kissed him. "Thanks Sokka."

"That reminds me," Sokka began to address, "I was actually thinking the same thing. How was _your_ sex life?"

"Well, I only had one guy. It was a man I was in a relationship with for four years."

"Wow, four years?" Sokka questioned, starting to feel a little jealous himself.

"Yeah, we had strong feelings for each other. Lei really liked him too. Then, things started to go downhill because of complications with his career goals and my home life."

"Ohhhhhhh..." Sokka did feel quite uncomfortable. Knowing that his woman really liked another guy, and his son liked him as well, did not make him feel good what so ever. "If you don't mind me asking, who is this man? How much did you guys love each other and how was the sex life?"

Suki can hear the hint of jealousy in his tone. This made her smile to herself. Now it seems like they're even. "His name was Koji, and yes we loved each other. And the sex life was good too. He definitely knew what he was doing."

Sokka felt like he got slapped in the face, while Suki chuckled at his expression.

"Oh Sokka," Suki giggled, "You always look so cute when you're jealous."

Sokka looked back at her with a grunt, "I mean am I suppose to be happy for Koji?"

"Hey, I guess we're even right?" Suki added, "You had all those women, while I had one man who knew how to treat me right for awhile."

Sokka gave another grunt. He didn't really knew who had the better, or worse, deal. "Whatever, I guess."

Now that they both had a glimpse of each other's sex life, Suki snuggled closer to him. "It's great to know I'm still the only one that can do you right, the same you do me," she whispered in his ear.

This time, Sokka smiled. "How about we do some more before breakfast?"

Suki smirked at him, "Great idea."

* * *

"I told you so Lei! I told you so!"

Lei smiled and shook his head at Jia's triumphant remark over the phone. He still misses her so much, and it's hard getting used to not seeing her daily.

"Alright alright, you win. Happy Jia?"

"Say it Lei!"

"You're right, and I'm wrong. I'm glad I listened to you."

"There we go!"

Both the friends laughed. To them, it felt great to hear from each other. With Jia at Kyoshi Island and Lei all the way at Republic City, these phone calls are becoming a necessity. They simply can't bear having days without hearing from each other, alongside not seeing each other.

"So how's your mother doing?"

Lei just realized, she never came home last night. "Hmmmm, now that you remind me, she never came to the island since last night. My uncle told me she went to go visit my dad."

On the other side of the phone, a sudden explanation entered Jia's mind. "So she went to visit him again, and never came home. So she spent the night... Oh snap!"

Lei's eyes widened in disgust after hearing what Jia was leading too, "No! Jia! Don't even!"

Jia tried her best to hold in her laughter, "I mean she and Sokka seemed to hit it off well to begin with, as you told me. It just seems-"

"No, Jia stop right there," Lei commanded as he cut her off, "I don't need anything like that pictured in my brain please."

"Oh come on, you're biological parents have good looks anyway," she teased, leading him to slap his forehead.

"Where else would you get your good looks from?" Jia added, blushing as she said it.

Unbeknownst to Jia, Lei was blushing as well. "Well, thanks... I guess."

Jia allowed herself to chuckle. She had a good feeling that on the other end of the phone, Lei's cheeks were red and he probably had that embarrassed smile. Oh how she yearned to see that face again.

"Anyway," she continued, "I'm so glad to hear things are going well."

"Me too," Lei responded, "But as much as I'm liking it here, I wish you were here." _You and your loving personality and you're gorgeous face. _

Jia felt her cheeks turn red once more. If they were together right now, the blushes on their cheeks would be too evident. Thank goodness this was a phone call.

"You tell me," she added, "It's hard getting used to not seeing you here. I miss you."

"I miss you too," Lei told her. _Wow, I sound like I have a crush on her. _

Just then, he can hear Kya and Tenzin screaming his name loudly from the courtyard. Jia could also hear them from the phone, and she smiled. "Your little cousins?"

"Oh shit! I promised them that I would show them sword tricks this afternoon."

"Well looks like it's afternoon," Jia giggled softly, "I guess we'll talk again soon?"

"Oh... yeah." Lei really didn't want to get off the phone with her, but he made his promises to his cousins. Lately, he hasn't really had to chance to call her due to all the events that happened. "I'll call you whenever I have the time. Don't ever think I'll forget about you."

"Oh you better not," Jia threatened sarcastically.

"Wow there, a little vicious there aren't we?" Lei told her, smiling at how cute she sounds.

"You know me," she giggled, "Bye Lei, talk to you soon."

"Later Jia."

* * *

"Well, aren't we all happy to be here right now?"

The blind earthbender was the first to start the conversation. She, Aang and Katara surprised Zuko with a visit at his suite.

"I sure am happy," the Firelord stated, "It's been awhile since we were all together."

"Agreed," Aang added, "It's nice to just relax and hang with each other, despite all the events that happened lately."

"Yeah, the events you guys planned and I had no idea about," Toph added somewhat impertinently.

Aang and Zuko gave her an annoyed glance while Katara rolled her eyes.

"Really Toph?" Katara spoke, wanting to complain. "Can't we just all be happy that we're all together right now?"

"Oh calm down sugar queen. I was just playing and I've already forgiven you guys."

Like always, Aang decided to shift the conversation into a direction away from anything that may cause tensions. "Speaking of which, guess who went to go visit Sokka and didn't come back home last night?"

Katara gave her husband a smirk, and looked at her friends with the same facial expression.

Zuko's eyes widened at the sudden realization. "No... way."

Toph herself caught on as well. "Well that was fast."

"That's exactly what I thought," Aang chuckled as he turned towards his wife, "Looks like you're brother finally had a good night."

Katara playfully smacked his arm while the others laughed. "Really Aang? If we were to talk about people's sex lives, can it not be someone in my family?"

The rest of the room laughed, with Katara joining along. "But anyways," she began to spoke seriously, "I'm honestly happy for them. All of them. Not only did Sokka and Suki settled things, but Lei had a good time with his father as well."

"Oh yeah," Zuko suddenly remembered, "Sokka told me yesterday how he had an awesome time meeting his son."

This made Katara feel happy and hopeful. It makes her glad to know that her brother and the son he never knew of were able to show affection towards each other.

"Well that's awesome news Zuko," Aang spoke, "It's good to know that the father and son have mutual feelings."

"Yeah," Toph added, "Maybe things will get easier from here on out."

All four friends hoped that for Sokka and Suki. They want everyone to be together again, the same way they were before the war. Now that they're adults with kids, they want everyone to get along. To them, family is important.

"I'm proud of Sokka," Zuko stated, "We all know about his past habits, but now, he seems to moving forward. Those habits of his are now just regretful memories."

"Like when he was dating Hu Li?" Toph asked him.

The three of them looked at her in shock, especially Zuko. "How did you know?"

"I've been around them before. They've always made it seem like they were just friends, but you guys know me. I can sense everything."

They weren't surprised. As a matter of fact, shouldn't Sokka had known that?

Katara sighed, "I was so disappointed when I found that out. The fact that my brother was in a relationship with a married woman, and she was the mother of my son's friend."

"I was disheartened myself too," Aang added.

Toph felt the same when she found out. She would never expected Sokka to be this type of man. "Weren't we all?"

"Let's just hope the kids don't find out about this," Zuko claimed, "We don't need any more drama."

They all agreed. Drama definitely is a strong weapon that can break a family.

* * *

"Bumi, you have a guest," Mariko told the teenager.

"Really? Who is it?"

"Ronin," she responded kindly, "Or should I say Zhang, since you like to call him by his last name."

Excited that his friend was outside, Bumi got out of the sofa he was taking a nap in and thanked Mariko. "He likes it when I call him Zhang. He's comes from a proud family and definitely wants to show it off," he teased, allowing Mariko to giggle. Then, he rushed out to the courtyard and was happy to see his friend.

"Zhang! What's up buddy?"

"Hey Bumi, do you mind if I spend the night?" He asked somewhat gloomily.

"Of course!" Bumi exclaimed. He loved whenever a friend got to spend the night. However, he noticed his morose tone. "Everything okay?"

"I'll tell you later."

"Oh... okay." It always hurt him to see a friend in pain.

Bumi took him inside and asked Mariko to make them lunch. They both took a seat at the dining table, waiting silently while Mariko was making the meals in the kitchen.

"My mom and dad have been fighting a lot lately," Zhang told him unhappily.

Bumi was shocked. Dong and Hu Li Zhang never seemed to be the type to have a rocky relationship. "Aw damn, I'm sorry Zhang. Hopefully things ease up soon."

"They've been fighting for awhile Bumi. I really don't know when it'll stop."

That made Bumi even more surprised. "They were fighting for awhile? About what?"

"I don't know," Zhang spoke softly, "But I keep hearing my dad accusing her of cheating."

Bumi's jaw dropped. _Cheating? No way can a person like Hu Li cheat. _"What? That's crazy!"

"I know," Zhang answered, his tone still quiet, "At least, I think it's too crazy to be true."

Bumi looked at his friend and felt sympathy for him. He can tell Zhang refused to believe it, but something in his mind is telling him to think otherwise. Why else would Dong Zhang accuse Hu Li of cheating?

And _who_ was Hu Li cheating _with_?

If it's all true, Bumi would be extremely mad at Hu Li and her partner, whoever it may be.

"Zhang, I'm sorry." He had to keep his mood cool so he won't make his friend feel uncomfortable. "Let's not jump into conclusions. It could all be a misunderstanding."

"I hope so," Zhang stated.

They both hope so.


	16. Giving Chances and Bad News

_Two months later:_

* * *

Sokka, Suki and Lei had a great time these past two months. Finally, they are able to do things that real families do. Things that involve a father, a mother, and a son.

Of course, the only time Lei ever felt something similar to this bond was when his mother was dating Koji, but that's all in the past now. Even though he admits he misses the man that could have possibly been his step-father, it's time to move on from that. Now he is with his real, biological father, and he is really happy about it.

Not only that, but he was able to get along with everyone else in the family too. Bumi is like a brother to him, and even Zuko and Toph feel like an uncle and an aunt to him similar to Aang and Katara.

Today, Sokka brought Lei and Suki to a beach that's no more than an hour away from the city. It didn't matter how far they were going, because they enjoyed the long rides between the three of them in a private mobile.

Both the couple had a towel laid out on the sand by the shore side and snuggled there for the mean time. Meanwhile, Lei was still surfing, wanting to distance himself from his parents when they are having 'oogies.'

"Oogies," Suki giggled while placing her hand on Sokka's bare chest, "That's a new word you let him get used to. Now he's going to bring that up to us the same way you did back when Katara and Aang started dating."

"Oh don't worry about that," Sokka joked somewhat suspiciously as he slid his hand down her thighs, "I like to keep our activities private. Speaking of which, you look so good in that bikini it's hard to resist."

"Sokka!" She gasped, "On a public beach? Our son right over there?"

"Relax Suki," Sokka chuckled, "I won't tear you out of your clothes until tonight."

"Well good," she replied as she smirked at him, "Looking forward to tonight, again."

They both laughed and continued snuggling each other, while keeping their behavior as appropriate as possible. During the past two months, Sokka's relationship with Suki blossomed. Yes, they're boyfriend and girlfriend, not husband and wife, but they both feel that they're relationship is slowly building up to how it was like over eighteen years ago. Now that they're in their late thirties, they're more mature when it comes to handling their problems and feelings. Of course, they also matured physically and maintained proper exercises, so their sex life is indeed amazing. For the past two months, it seems they can't get their hands off of each other. Suki is now living with him in his apartment.

Aside from Suki, Sokka's relationship with his son also evolved drastically, much to his delight. To Sokka, being a father was the greatest thing in the world. Aang and Zuko surely weren't playing when they themselves described how it was like being a father. Of course, every now and then Sokka would still feel the pain of not raising Lei for seventeen years, but he was still determined to make use of the time he had now. And it seemed to have work. Lately, Sokka and Lei had some great 'father and son' bonding. There were lots of laughs and joys between the two, especially in regards to their similar personalities. Sokka would find himself excited to get out of work to see his son, with Lei feeling the same way. Meanwhile, Suki would just watch and smile, happy that both her boys were getting along so wonderfully.

Watching Lei surfing on the waves caught Sokka's attention. Clearly whatever skills the boy had, he was a master at it. The way he stands stiff on his board, perfectly balanced without falling once, impressed him.

"Now would you look at him," he spoke to Suki, "So focused and enjoying himself."

"You seem to have described Lei's life," she told him as she smiled watching her son.

"And look at all the girls watching him," he stated proudly, "We did such a good job creating him."

Suki chuckled, "That we did Sokka."

"You know what I noticed Suki? I don't know if you noticed, but ever since he got here he caught the attention of lots of young girls. Heck, they were practically stalking him once he took off his shirt," he paused allowing Suki to giggle, "But I'm positive Lei noticed, yet he never even acknowledged any of these young women."

Suki looked up to Sokka, "He never seems like the one who chases after girls doesn't he?"

"Yeah," he replied, "I mean when I was a single teenager, it was all about impressing the ladies you know?"

"But you hate it when they beat you at something, don't you?" Suki teased.

Sokka rolled his eyes and laughed, "Whatever. Anyway, it surprises me that he never seems to care about girls all over him. I would think young men would love being teenage heartthrobs. I know I did."

This time, it was Suki who rolled her eyes. "Maybe some young men aren't so egotistical," she teased as she circled her finger around his chest, "Our boy Lei is way too mature, as opposed to someone at that age."

The water tribe warrior giggled some more. "Alright Suki. Enough mocking me with that cute sass of yours," he told her, which resulted in her kissing him on the cheek. "But you know why he's being that way? I'm mostly positive his heart belongs to another girl."

That statement sure did surprised the Kyoshi Warrior, but she did kind of agree with him. "Honestly Sokka, I kind of see that too."

"Jia is her name, right?"

Suki's eyes widened, "How did you know?"

"He told me about her the first day we met. Says she was his 'best friend.' What do you think?"

"Between you and me Sokka, I feel like it's more than that. Lei just can't bring himself to admit it."

Sokka chuckled, "I told him to hang on to her, because she sounds special. After all, that is surely the reason why he isn't acknowledging any other girl he meets."

"What makes you so sure?" Suki asked him.

"That's exactly how I was when I fell for you."

Suki felt her heart melt, and she immediately placed her lips on his.

* * *

During the late afternoon, Firelord Zuko and his wife Mai decided to let their child Izumi play with the kids at a playground around the neighborhood. Since this part of the city was filled with wealthy Fire Nation citizens and elites, there were barely any paparazzi or fans, so they were thankfully left alone or respected. Of course, having a few bodyguards helped somewhat.

Izumi was ecstatic about coming to Republic City. Once Mai and Izumi paid Zuko a visit a few weeks ago, Zuko eventually decided that the three of them spend the rest of the summer in the city, much to Izumi's delight. Zuko might be able to get more work done, but more importantly, he loves being around his family and friends. Mai couldn't agree more, and plus Ursa seems to have things under control back at home for the time being.

As they sat on a bench and watched Izumi play with the other kids, they marveled over how precious they're little girl was and how much of a good heart she has. She sure represents the future of the Fire Nation throne, and both the couple are proud of the way she's turning out.

"So, Zuko, you still haven't really told me that much on how Sokka and Suki got back together," Mai spoke, attempting to start a conversation, "All I know is right now they are extremely happy, based on what I saw."

"They were so happy to see you weren't they?" Zuko chuckled, "Isn't it great how they're getting along now?"

"Yeah it is. But seriously, how was it like when they first met?"

"Based on what Sokka told me, very dramatic at first."

"I'm not surprised," Mai commented, "Thankfully none of us got involved, even if we all had part in setting them up together."

"Yeah, thank goodness. Otherwise, it'll be hard going to the council meetings with an angry Sokka."

Mai chuckled, "I had no worries since I was all the way in the Fire Nation."

"I'm just so glad they handled the situation maturely," Zuko added, "It's great that all of us can be one big family again."

"That reminds me," Mai remembered, "What was it like when Sokka first found out about Lei?"

"That's probably the main cause of the tension when he saw Suki for the first time in over eighteen years," Zuko answered, "Toph told me. Sokka told her the event."

"But things became okay after that?" Mai asked curiously.

"Seems so," the Firelord answered, "Sokka and Lei seemed to have a great time meeting each other. From what I remembered, Sokka couldn't stop smiling."

"That's good," Mai stated, "Looks like everyone settled the situation very maturely."

"Exactly! It's all about giving people chances, you know? It's easier than shutting them out from your lives. I bet that's exactly what Sokka, Suki and Lei did. And what did you know? Everything turned out perfectly. It's all about giving chances."

"Very wise Firelord," Mai giggled, "You kind of remind me of your uncle."

"I'm getting older and older every day. Sometimes I feel like I'm becoming my uncle."

Mai laughed some more before she continued speaking. "Well I'm glad things are okay. I remember about Sokka's past habits, especially when you told me he was dating that married woman."

"Yeah, but that's the past," Zuko assured her, "Sokka is completely changed now. He became wiser, and Suki and Lei stepped into his life and changed it for the better."

Mai smiled, "Let's just hope it stays this way. You think Sokka and Suki have another chance of getting married again?"

"Still way too early to tell, but definitely something to consider." Zuko thought about it for awhile. Of course it was only two months, but from what he saw, Sokka and Suki seem to be falling for each other more and more each week. "Looks like only time will tell, but I feel like they can definitely make it work."

For some reason, he felt sure.

* * *

Finally, it's night time. Sokka, Suki and Lei arrived at Sokka's apartment an hour ago so they won't have such a late dinner. Having just came back from the beach, they didn't care what they wore at the dining table. Lei just wore a tank top while still wearing his swimming shorts, Suki still had her bikini on but just wore one of Sokka's white t-shirts over it, while Sokka switched into his sweatpants and didn't bother wearing a shirt. They're all a close family now, so there's no need to be formal around each other.

Once dinner was finished, Suki went to take a shower while Sokka and Lei relaxed in the living room on separate couches.

Sokka always loved talking to his son. It helps him get to know Lei and strengthen his bond with him. As for Lei, the feeling was mutual.

"You liked Tui Beach?" He asked his son.

"Yeah of course," Lei exclaimed, "I didn't know a beach in the United Nations could actually be nice and not polluted."

"I don't blame you for thinking that. Tui Beach is a hidden gem that not many people know of. Thank goodness."

"Thanks for bringing us dad. Haven't been to a beach in forever. I grew up in Kyoshi Island for crying out loud! Surfing, swimming and even getting a tan was a way of life!"

Sokka chuckled, "A way of life huh? Never cared about checking the babes? Never wanted to show them what you got?" He asked while flexing his bare muscles.

"Yeah... can you not do that in front of me?"

"Oh come on Lei," Sokka giggled, "You got your looks from me and you're hot mother. And I know you've been hitting the gym based on your physique. Don't be ashamed to show off!"

"You're my dad and you're almost forty, and here you are trying to be a tool by flexing with no shirt, and you're calling mom 'hot.' Oh boy, I'm uncomfortable."

His father chuckled even more. Of course, a parent loves embarrassing his child.

"Anyways," Lei continued, "I'm not about that life."

"I can see that," Sokka commented as he lifted any eyebrow at him with a smile.

"Uh, why are you giving me that look?"

"Oh no reason."

"Oh yeah dad let me just believe you. Give me a random smirk then tell me you're giving it for no reason," Lei commented dryly as he took a sip from his cup of water he placed on the table earlier.

Sokka laughed. He loves his son. "What do you think about Jia?"

Lei almost chocked on his water, allowing Sokka to laugh a little more and apologize.

"Where did that come from?"

"Just wondering."

"Oh yeah just wondering," he mocked his father's tone, "Spill it."

There's something about Lei's sass that Sokka loves. It's like a combination of his own sarcastic remarks and his mother's bold statements. "Love the attitude by the way."

"Dad, spill it."

"Okay okay, I was just thinking, is she on your mind often?"

"Well she's my best friend. I miss her a lot but we still keep in touch. Why?"

"Today at the beach, or anywhere, whenever girls gawk at you, you always ignore them. Strange, because any boy your age would acknowledge it."

"Well like said, I ain't about that life."

Sokka gave him another smirk, "What I'm trying to say is, I was like you when I fell in love with your mother. I think of her, and no other girl matters."

Finally, Lei understood where his father was going with this conversation. "Wait wait wait, are you trying to tell me I'm in love with Jia?"

"I'm not saying that," Sokka told him, though he felt he was somewhat lying to himself, "I'm just saying you probably have some strong feelings for her."

"Yeah, cause she's my best friend."

"I mean whenever someone says her name, something in you sparks. I can see it in your eyes."

Lei wanted to defend himself, but he was so caught off guard that he had no comment.

Seeing his son had nothing else to say, Sokka spoke again, "Eh, I'm sorry Lei. I guess maybe I'm comparing you too much to myself. It's just that the way you think of Jia reminds me of the time I fell in love with your mother. "

Though his father caught his attention out of nowhere and left him speechless, he can't help but feel happy that his father feels that way for his mother.

"Have you or mom ever said 'I love you' to each other?" Lei asked his father curiously.

This time, Sokka was taken by surprise. He pause for awhile before speaking, "No... not yet."

"Don't worry dad, give it some time."

Sokka smiled at his son. It made him proud and happy to know that his son accepted his relationship with his mother. Unbeknownst to Lei, Sokka also hoped that Lei would say 'I love you dad' to him as well. Sokka himself wants to say it to him and Suki, but he decided to let it wait a little. It might be too early for the L word.

"Oh snap!" Lei shouted, "What time is it?"

"Almost nine. Why?"

"Gotta get back to Air Temple Island," he remembered.

Sokka frowned, "You know Lei, I can easily turn the guest bedroom here into your bedroom. You don't have to keep going all the way to the island. Even you're mother is living here with me."

Lei always thought about that, but as of now, he's not quite sure he wants to live in this apartment just yet. Given that his parents are still fresh in a newfound relationship, and he's used to Air Temple Island, he doesn't feel like adjusting to a new setting in Republic City just yet.

"Thanks dad, but like I said. Bumi and I are getting along more than ever and we're constantly with each other, especially on the island. I would feel bad for leaving, plus I'm used to the island. Maybe some time soon I'll move in here."

Sokka would be lying if he said he wasn't hurt, but he understood. "Alright Lei. Tell Bumi and the others I said hi."

"No problem," Lei said as he put on a t-shirt over his tank top and headed for the door, "Later dad."

"Later son. Be safe! Don't go to sleep too late."

"Yeah okay mom," he replied as he got out the apartment, letting his father chuckle once more.

_A father just cares about his son, Lei._

* * *

Bumi waited not only for Lei, but for Zhang as well. Earlier today at practice, Zhang asked to sleep over again. However, when he asked him, it was in that usual sad tone. Bumi knew something was going on at his house again. Lately, Zhang's parents seem to be fighting a lot, based on what Zhang has told him. For the past few month, it just wouldn't stop. Bumi worries, especially in regards to how this may affect Zhang and his sister.

"Bumi."

Bumi startled a little to see Mariko approaching him.

"Sorry for startling you. Lost in thought?"

"Yeah, kinda was. Anyways, what's up?"

Mariko giggled at his lack of formal manners to an acolyte. "Mister Ronin Zhang is here."

"Sweet! Thanks!"

He rushed to the door to get him. Once he opened the door, there was Zhang, not in the best mood. When Bumi looked into his eyes, he saw not only sadness, but anger as well.

"Zhang you okay?"

"Can we go somewhere more private?"

"Yeah... sure. How about we head to Lei's room in the men's dormitory. He's not here yet, but we can talk there until he comes."

Both the two friends walked to Lei's room in silence. Bumi wanted to start up a conversation, but decided not to say anything until Zhang felt like it. All of a sudden, the walk to the dormitory never felt so long.

Finally, once they were in Lei's room, it was time to talk.

"So Zhang," Bumi spoke, "What's up?"

Zhang looked at him, with bloodshot eyes. "I found out who my mom was cheating with."

Bumi's eyes widened. "Who?"

Zhang paused, looking straight into Bumi's eyes. Finally, he spoke, "Sokka."

Feeling like he got kicked in the stomach, Bumi tried his best to keep his posture. Was that some sick joke? "Wha... what?"

"Your uncle."


	17. Starting To Break

_No. No. Zhang is wrong. It can't be. Uncle Sokka would never_

"I- I don't believe you Zhang," Bumi hissed.

"It's true Bumi!" Zhang argued back fiercely, "You're uncle is a backstabber!"

"How dare you accuse my uncle of this bullshit?! Uncle Sokka would never do such a thing. My uncle is a respectable man Zhang! You can't just go around and accuse him of shit like this!" Bumi yelled back loud enough to make it sure that defending his uncle was his priority. If Zhang was telling the truth, then there's no way he can look his uncle in the eye anymore. It just can't be true. _IT CAN'T._

"You don't believe me Bumi? Still think your douchebag uncle is still the wise damn hero the whole city thinks of him? Well then take a look at this!"

Right when Bumi was about to yell back at him for insulting his uncle, Zhang handed him a letter. Whatever letter this was, Bumi was hesitant to read it. If what Zhang's saying is right, and this letter is proof of it, then everything will change. As painfully thrilling as it is, Bumi had to take the letter. He had to read it. He had to know the truth. Above all, he hoped that whatever was in that letter is a misunderstanding.

_Dear Hu Li,_

_We've had an amazing two weeks at Ba Sing Se haven't we? It felt great to be alone with you. No bothers, no worries, just me and you. You're so fun, so exciting, and absolutely beautiful. It was great waking up all those mornings and having you lying right next to me. I want you so much. I wish you were mine. Sucks that we had to part ways after our vacation._

_Don't worry, after I get some policies settled in the Northern Water tribe, I'm coming back for you. In the meantime, try not to let that husband of yours bore you! Haha! _

_Yours Truly, _

_Sokka._

This was no doubt his uncle's handwriting. Bumi had no words. It was like time froze and there he was, reading this letter. All the good things about his uncle, it was all a lie. His uncle is a lie.

"That letter was written over a year ago," Zhang told him, "I stole it from my dad. He was the one who found it. Remember when my mother told me she had to spend a few weeks at Omashu for business, and your uncle told you he had to go to the Fire Nation to resolve conflicts at their government?"

"They didn't, did they?" Bumi whispered, clearly hurt, "They went on vacation with each other at Ba Sing Se."

"Yes," Zhang choked out, "Yes they did."

Bumi couldn't believe it. It explains a lot. How Sokka often picked him up from sword practice, and how often he would talk with Hu Li during a game... They were dating this whole time. Was Sokka taking advantage of him?

The fifteen year-old teen tried to massage his temples. He didn't know whether to be sad or angry. He felt like letting tears run out his eyes, but more preferably, he wanted to punch a wall.

"Bumi, you're uncle is a home wrecker," Zhang told him sharply.

Being fed up with the insults, Bumi shouted back, "Well what about your mom? She was the one being a slut."

"Shut up!" Zhang shouted back. As much as he hated hearing his mother being defined with that word, he can't help but feel that Bumi did have a point. Nonetheless, he blamed Sokka for stepping into his mother's life and ruining the family. "We all know your uncle. Being that guy with the fancy clothes and a lady or two in his arms every time there's a public event. Always thought he was the 'playboy' type. Even the newspapers would call him that!"

"He's not like that anymore Zhang," Bumi defended.

"Yeah, now that he knows he has a son, but his actions before surely had a cost! Look at what he did to my family! My parents are constantly fighting while my sister keeps on crying because of them. I tried to comfort her while my household is becoming a mess. Your uncle is a fucking home wrecker! He made my mother betray us, and look at my family now!" Zhang shouted with all his might, tears stained in his eyes.

As angry as he was at Zhang, he did sympathize for him. "I'm sorry Zhang. I'm sorry for what you're going through, but you can't just solely blame my uncle."

"Why not?!" Zhang shouted back.

"Cause your mother was the one who betrayed you guys! She chose to pursue this relationship!" As painful as the words may be to Zhang, Bumi had to say it.

"She wouldn't have if your uncle never came into the picture. He probably influenced her!"

"And how the heck would you know that?"

"Come on Bumi! Remember the newspapers articles? You're jackass playboy uncle would definitely do this type of shit."

Bumi did feel that Zhang had a point, and felt himself getting angrier. Either he was mad at Zhang's words, or he was mad at Sokka's past actions. "Well your whore of a mother clearly fell for it I guess! If she loved you guys hard enough, she wouldn't have!"

Those words were like a knife to Zhang's heart. With a tear dripping out of his eye, and his mind completely filled with hate, Zhang spoke his last words for the night, "Fuck off Bumi. I'm done with you and your family."

And Zhang left the room, slamming the door. As for Bumi, all he could do was sit on Lei's bed and cry. Not only did he learn about his uncle's actions, but he lost a best friend.

And this was all Sokka's fault.

* * *

Finally arriving back on Air Temple Island, Lei was looking forward to a goodnight's sleep. He had so much fun today with his parents, and today is surely not the only day he's been this happy. It practically became a ritual for him to think and smile about his awesome family during his walk from the dock to his dormitory. His relationship with his father is going great, and his father's relationship with his mother is blooming as well. They all feel like a true family, even if his mother and father are technically 'boyfriend and girlfriend.' Nonetheless, they still are a loving couple, and his loving parents.

Suddenly, he snapped out of his thoughts when he saw Zhang storming out of the dormitory, tears stained in his eyes. "Damn, Zhang what's wrong?"

Zhang saw Lei standing in front of him, and his eyes fired at the sight of the older teenager who looked exactly like Sokka. "You wanna know what's wrong Lei? Your father."

Lei was startled, yet confused. The look on Zhang's face was threatening, and what about his father? "What are you talking about Zhang?"

"Your father is a scum Lei! A fucking scumbag!"

Lei felt his blood boil over the sudden insult. "What the hell Zhang? Why are you insulting my father?! What the hell is wrong with you!?"

"Go to your room and ask Bumi," Zhang spoke in a softer voice, "I'm done with you people."

Lei watched the angry teenager walked back down to the dock. He wanted to go up to him and argue more, but he had to go to Bum. He had to find out something. Why does Ronin Zhang hate his father?

He immediately walked to his room and there was his cousin, Bumi. Moreover, he noticed Bumi in the same mental state as Zhang. Tear-stained eyes, with a look of anger and sadness plastered all around his face.

"Bumi," Lei spoke nervously, "What is up with Ronin? And why does he hate my dad?"

Bumi looked up to his older cousin. Whenever someone calls Zhang by his first name, things are serious. "You know Hu Li?"

Lei nodded slowly, still confused over where this conversation was headed and what Zhang's mother had to do with this.

Bumi, with his head turned away and his eyes shut, handed his cousin the letter. "This was written over a year ago."

Lei gazed at the letter offered to him. Whatever this letter was, it was his answer. He took the letter and slowly read….

…_.What?_

After reading this letter, he looked at his younger cousin who was still looking away from him.

"It- it can't be," Lei spoke, "I don't believe it. It has to be a misunderstanding."

"How is it a misunderstanding Lei?" Bumi's eyes shot back to his cousin, "I don't want to believe it either, but that's Uncle Sokka's handwriting right there, and it says stuff like 'want you so much' or 'lying in bed right next to me' or some shit like that."

Lei couldn't grasp what's happening right now. This cannot be true. His father is a great man.

"Look, I have a good relationship with my father right now alright? You can't tell me this is true." Lei's voice began to crack. It was like his whole world was crumbling apart. What he feared about meeting his father a few months ago seems to be coming back to him.

"So what am I suppose to say Lei? That letter isn't real? Cause let me tell ya, I really wish it wasn't, but it's right there in your hands."

Involuntarily, Lei ripped the letter in half.

"Bumi, I respect my father. I'm so thankful for him..."

"I felt that way too Lei," Bumi spoke as he shut his eyes again, "FELT."

Lei had all respect for his father, but now he doesn't know whether or not he wants to respect him anymore. The relationship they had, it was a good relationship, yet this letter just made him want to throw all the respect away.

Him and his father had a happy two months together, but then this letter showed him something. A side of his father he never knew about.

"No, no!" Lei began to shout, "I just bonded really well with my father, and you're going to show me this?!"

"How do you think I feel?!" Bumi shouted at the same volume, "He's my uncle for crying out loud! And now I just found out he was in a relationship with my best friend's mother and ruined their marriage. My uncle who I looked up to my whole life, did this!"

Lei wanted to let the tears fall out his eyes, but he found himself becoming angry. He remembered the articles he read in the newspapers about his father constantly having a woman in his arms, but he never knew he would stoop down to this level.

"Zhang's parents," Lei whispered, "Sokka was the reason."

That was the first time since he visited Republic City when he called his father by his first name.

"Yeah Lei," Bumi choked out, "Sokka was the reason."

That was Bumi's first time as well.

* * *

Sokka and Suki laid in each other's arms on the sofa. No clothes, skin to skin with a blanket covering their lower halves. Having just made love, both the couple felt satisfied like always. After all these years, they still know each other both physically and emotionally. It made it easier for them to fall for each other again.

"Isn't it funny how we decided to do this on the couch rather than in our room?" Sokka asked her, smiling

"Oh shush," Suki replied, "I love it when it's spontaneous."

"True. Next time you want spontaneous, just do what you did earlier. I love surprises." Sokka smiled when he thought about her earlier. He came out of the shower, and there was his girlfriend, his ex-wife, lying naked on the couch with a seductive look

"No problem," Suki giggled, "It always feels the best after a nice clean shower."

Sokka chuckled, "Getting down and dirty after a clean shower, okay then."

Suki playfully slapped him on the shoulder and gave him a kiss. "So you and Lei are having another father &amp; son time tomorrow?"

Sokka smiled, "Yep. We'll be at the dojo practicing more of our moves. He's getting better, and he's actually teaching me stuff in return."

"Lei seems to like it a lot," she told him as she kissed his cheek, "Thank you Sokka."

"For what?" He asked curiously.

"For making my son happy."

Sokka smiled once more and kissed her. For the past few months, he was thankful to have his ex-wife come back to his life. Moreover, he was glad to meet the world's most amazing son.

"Come on babe," he told her, knowing she loves being called that, "Let's go to bed."

And he carried her to his bedroom, leaving their blanket, towels and clothes out in the living room. As they laid in bed, Suki laid her head on his chest as he wrapped his arm around her. To them, nothing felt more comfortable than being together.

Sokka looked up to the ceiling and smiled. This will be another goodnight sleep, and he's looking forward to spending some quality time with his son tomorrow.

* * *

**Not one of my longest chapters, but enough to get the tension to start. Stay tuned for some harsh feelings! O_o**


	18. When Thunder Strikes

_Fun fact: **Lei** is the Chinese word for "thunder."_

* * *

It was another day of dueling for a father and his son at the dojo. Dueling was a special way for them to connect. With their separate movements and their precision in fighting styles, both Sokka and Lei had a lot to learn from each other, as well as a lot to teach.

To Sokka, dueling with his son quickly became one of his favorite activities. Moreover, it was obvious that Lei enjoyed it as well.

However, for Lei, today was different.

Fully equipped in their protective gear and in the middle of a duel, Sokka encouraged his son, "Good job son," he told him as he swung his sword sideways while Lei blocked the attack with his katana, "Your defense is always intact."

"Of course," Lei spoke through his teeth as he continued countering his father's movements roughly.

Sokka was quite impressed. Today, Lei seems to be filled with energy, or was rather more focused than usual. "Alright, now let's you if you can handle this!"

His father sent out multiple strikes, seeing that Lei was determined to seek a challenge in today's dueling session.

Much to his surprise, Lei either dodged his movements swiftly or countered his attacks acutely.

"Not that impressive," Lei told his father.

Sokka was somewhat surprised. Was that an insult? And how come Lei doesn't seem to be in his usual, enjoyable personality?

"Oh... okay," Sokka said as he continued dueling with his son.

As they continued swinging and striking, Lei decided to speak, "You know, I've been training my whole life. As you can see, I'm way beyond any simplistic training."

"That's great son. I can see that!"

"Yep. I learned all by myself. I didn't need a father to teach me."

Sokka froze in the middle of the duel, only to be knocked over from his son's surprise blow.

"Oops, sorry dad," Lei spoke unapologetically as he lent a hand to his father.

Stunned, Sokka didn't know what was going on. It seems that he's being given an attitude. Weird, this never happened before. He took his son's hand and stood back up. "Oh... yeah... that's okay."

For the next few minutes, they continued their dueling session without a word. Sokka decided not to say a word, until Lei spoke up some more.

"Tell me dad, any special ladies in your life after you and mom split?"

His tone seemed pretty malicious, and his question took Sokka by surprise, right in the middle of a duel.

"Not really... no," He answered as he countered his son's blows.

"Oh yeah, maybe just some one night stands or hookups with some other pointless adult women, right Mr. Republic City's finest?"

Sokka wanted to stop the duel, but he couldn't with Lei's katana lunging back and forth at him. "Where the hell did that comment come from?"

"Come on dad! Just playing with ya!" He said as he continued swinging at his father even more, though it was evident in his tone that he wasn't joking around.

As he continued blocking his attacks, he replied nonchalantly, "Funny Lei, very funny."

"I mean, an adult man who cares about nothing but seeking women should be looked down upon right? Especially if he is father, uncle, or even a friend. I see these type of men everywhere in Republic City."

As they continued their duel, Sokka felt his son's word hit him. For some reason, it seems that these words are meant to be directed at him. But what would Lei know?

"I guess some men are just trying to find something to fill a void in their life," Sokka spoke casually, still focused on his fighting skills in this duel.

"HA! Those men are choosing to go down the wrong path! Seriously, if a man were trying to fill a void in his life, then going after women one by one like a shopping list is a stupid path."

"Lei, you can't just judge people like that," his father spoke to him. Clearly, Sokka was thinking of himself as he grew defensive. Lei's words are reminding him of his past actions. "Yes, it may seem like a bad path, but some guys weren't in the right state of mind. Sometimes they can just be lonely."

"Right, so screwing around with sluts is a good way to handle things."

"I'm not saying that Lei," Sokka addresses as he and his son continued blocking and countering each other's attacks, "I'm just saying that you shouldn't judge right off the bat. You never know, they can be lonely, or even hurt. They just try to find something to distract themselves from their sadness. That's why they don't think about their actions."

"Oh I totally believe you on the 'not thinking about their actions' part," Lei spoke up as he swung at his father even faster, "You know what I hate the most though? The type of men who actually have the audacity to date a married woman."

Sokka felt an immediate attack on the inside from Lei's words, as well as the multiple strikes from his katana. It seems that he's about to lose balance.

"I mean come on!" Lei began to shout as he continued swinging, "Out of all, those type of men are the worst! They ruin a marriage! They ruin a family!"

"Still, you don't know what's going in their minds Lei," Sokka spoke through his teeth.

"And you're gonna defend those type of men?!" Lei replied angrily. "They're worthless. They're scums! They're fucking assholes! If I was a son of one of those men, I would reject my father! Nothing worse than having a father who takes advantage of the people around him!"

Lei screamed loudly while his attacks on Sokka became harder on harder. Sokka himself had a hard time blocking, due to his son's swift movements and anger-driven statements. His words, however, were starting to make him mad.

"These type of men are not meant to be fathers," Lei added as he continued striking Sokka, "They're not meant to be uncles. They're not meant to be friends. They're not meant to be husbands. A man like that is not meant to be with my mom, or be my father. My mom and I would deserve much better than that."

Sokka couldn't take it. Rage filled his head, and out of nowhere...

"ARGHHHHHHHHH!" Sokka screamed as he forcefully swung his sword at Lei's katana, knocking it out of his hands. Right then, another swung sliced right across Lei's arm, through the armor and cutting his skin.

Lei grabbed his arm and screamed, taking a few steps back and tripped.

Sokka, alerted by his son's shout of pain and regretting letting his emotions get in the way, immediately went to Lei and crouched down. He took his son's arm and saw some blood staining the armor. The fact that he did this to his son made him want to cry.

"Lei! I am so, so sorr-"

"SHUT UP!" Before he knew it, Lei's fist punched him straight across his face.

Sokka fell backwards, grabbing the side of his jaw. He noticed that he can taste blood in the inside of his mouth, and he looked at his son in shock.

Lei immediately got up, took off his armor, walked straight out of the dojo, and slammed the door.

As for Sokka, all he did was lay on the mat with tears coming out of his eyes and his hand still on his jaw.

* * *

For Suki, it felt great to finally be able to reconnect with Zuko and Mai. It seems that this whole vacation, aside from Sokka and Lei, she mostly interacted with Aang and Katara, along with Toph every now and then. It was wonderful to be able to hang out with her friends from the Fire Nation, not to mention they are the Fire Lord and the Fire Lady.

"The lunch here is amazing," Suki told the couple after finishing her meal, "No wonder why Sokka and Lei love it here so much."

Zuko chuckled, remembering how much his best friend and his son love meat. "Yep. Han's Grille is famous for all kinds of meats."

"Speaking of which," Mai added, "I wonder what those two are up to right now?"

"They're having another sword match at Sokka's dojo," Suki answered, "They love it!"

"Sokka told me how much he loved dueling with his son," Zuko said, "They're both a natural when it comes to sword fighting."

"Sounds like they truly are father and son alright," Mai commented.

Seeing her friends speaking kindly of Sokka and Lei always put a smile on her face. It reminded her that for years, she wanted her son to have the perfect father figure. Now, he does, and it's her old love, his biological father. Moreover, now that Sokka and Lei are happy, everyone is happy.

"That reminds me Suki," Mai spoke, "What made you chose the name 'Lei'?"

Zuko thought that was a good question. "Yeah, I want to know about that too."

Suki smiled. "Funny you guys asked. Sokka asked me awhile ago, and Aang and Katara just asked me last week. They all thought I made a unique choice when giving my son his name."

"Tell us!" Mai exclaimed.

Suki would love to tell anyone who asked. "Lei means 'thunder.' On the day I gave birth to Lei, there was a thunderstorm. The weather was awful. Lightning, intense rain, high winds, everything. It was literally a hurricane."

Mai was intrigued, while Zuko lifted an eyebrow. Basically, Lei's name matched the horrible weather on the day of his birth. In their minds, they hoped that wasn't the reason why she chose the name for her son. They both know she's more deep than that.

"It was a stressful time," Suki continued, "I was single, and I was about to have a child. The weather perfectly matched my mood. When I gave birth, I can tell the sounds of my screams were blocked out by the sounds of thunder outside and the loud raindrops on the roof. Yet, when I saw my son for the first time, nothing else mattered. I didn't hear the storm, and I didn't feel any pain anymore. It was just me and my beautiful boy. I kept him in my arms the whole time. He cried loudly, but afterwards, he would smile a lot. In a way, he told me to be strong. It was going to be me and him for the rest our lives."

Suki paused and reminisced. Her eyes became wet when she thought back to the best day of her life. "There were loud bangs of thunder that day. It startled me. Yet for some reason, my son wasn't scared at all. He just looked at me and continued smiling and cooing. He was strong, and his voice was so loud. The thunderstorm didn't faze him at all. He was strong and loud, just like thunder itself. He wasn't afraid, and from then on, I had hope in my life. I wasn't afraid of the future anymore. All I know is that it was going to be me and my little bolt of lightning that will keep me charged for the days to come."

Suki giggled as a teardrop fell out her eye. "That is why I named him Lei."

Zuko smiled and gave her his own round of applause, while Mai truly felt her strong words.

Though Mai's not exactly the type to show feelings, she had to for this, "That was so beautiful Suki. The name truly is very fitting."

"Thank you Mai."

Zuko lifted his glass of wine, "To us, and our amazing children."

Suki and Mai lifted their glasses of wine in response.

* * *

With the sun setting and having just arrived at Air Temple Island, Sokka's walked up directly to his son's room in the male dormitory, refusing any help from the acolytes nearby.

_What was that earlier today?_

His cheek is sore, and it'll be hard to eat until the bruise heals. Though what pains him the most is being hurt by his son, and hurting his own son.

For the rest of the day, he's been thinking. _Did he know about Hu Li?_

Once he reached the front of his door, Sokka knocked.

"Come in."

He opened the door to find his son laying on his bed, reading a book. Another thing that caught his attention was his arm wrapped in bandages, which made Sokka's stomach drop.

"What?" Lei spoke, refusing to give any manners.

"We need to talk."

"What's there to talk about?"

"Don't act like you forgot what happened earlier today."

"Oh I really wish I forgot what I heard about you, dad. I really wish I did."

"And what is it you heard Lei?!" Sokka' voice grew louder. "What exactly did you hear?!"

"Zhang came crying and yelling at Bumi and I last night!" He shouted back at his father. "Remember Ronin Zhang? His parents are constantly fighting and the family is breaking apart! You want to know why?! Take a look at that!"

He pointed to the ripped letter on the floor. Sokka crouched and placed the two halves of the letter together. Then, he remembered what letter it is. It is the one he wrote awhile ago.

"Zhang gave it to us last night. By the way, I lost a friend, and Bumi lost his best friend. Thanks a lot, dad."

Sokka closed his eyes, "Lei, I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything dad!" He shouted back angrily. "You already fucked up everything. How about you just leave us all alone?!"

Sokka stood back up and diverted his eyes toward his son. "I know I made some mistakes, but I'm not going to stand here and let my son talk to me like that."

"And what are young going to do? Ground me for the first time? Punish me for bringing up the fact that you ruined a friend's family?"

"It's not something I'm proud of," Sokka spoke, his voice beginning to crack, "Please stop rubbing it in my face."

"I knew coming here to Republic City was a waste! Mom, Jia, they were all wrong! They told me to give you a chance, that I shouldn't be judging. Turns out they were wrong, and I was right!" Lei shouted as he sat up, "I never wanted to meet you in the first place. Heck, I was hoping mom's ex-boyfriend Koji would be the father figure in my life. I can tell you he was my first father, and he never did anything treacherous like you!" He pointed directly at his father.

Sokka felt a stab in between his chest. Never had he got on his son's bad side, and boy did it hurt. It hurt to see his son telling him he never wanted to meet him, and it hurt to hear that another man was doing a better job at being his father.

"Lei, please-"

"I really liked you Sokka! You truly were a father to me, I thought."

That was the first time he ever called his father by his first name intentionally, and it really hurts.

"I can't even look at you the same anymore."

Lei got out of his bed and prepared to walk out.

"STOP!"

His son turned to see his father looking back at him with angry, yet hurt eyes.

"Listen Lei, I messed up okay! I'm sorry, but you don't know what I've been through!"

Lei was unimpressed with his apology, nor his statement. "And that's suppose to make me think you're innocent?"

"I know what I did was wrong," Sokka continued, "I regret it! All the stuff you mentioned earlier at the dojo, I regret all of it!"

"Well the damage is done, and my opinion on you is set Sokka. There's nothing you can do about it now."

Sokka tried to ignore the hurtful words from his son as he continued, "You don't know how much I missed your mom okay? You don't know how much I constantly think about her. I loved your mom so much, and still do. She's constantly on my mind, and has been ever since we separated eighteen years ago."

"Then why didn't you go back to her when you had the chance?!" Lei shouted.

"Because I didn't want to hurt her again!" Sokka retaliated.

For half a minute, the room remained silent.

"Not again," Sokka added, "I tried to distract myself from her. As hard as it was, I tried to keep her off my mind. Yes, I dated different women to distract myself, but when I saw Hu Li, and how much she looked like your mother, I was tempted to do something I knew I'll regret it. And the thing that sickens me is that I knew how it was a horrible choice, but I let my temptation give in. I missed your mother, and Hu Li was a constant reminder of your mother. Then, I ended the relationship because I couldn't handle the guilt anymore, and trust me, this is a mistake that'll haunt me for the rest of my life "

Lei continued looking at his father, but not with sympathy. With disappointment.

"And you know what else?" Sokka spoke, "When I learned I had a son, I was even more hurt. You're mother didn't tell me about you, and I'm aware you didn't want to see me as you grew up. It hurt me so much, because I've always wanted a child. I've always wanted a son to raise on my own. You know how much it hurts to have lost that chance?"

Tears pricked behind Sokka's eyes as he let out his emotions. Lei's eyes were also getting wet, but he still had anger clogged in his head.

"But now, I finally got to meet my son. Even though I never got the chance to raise him, these past few months have been the best time of my life. The love of my life came back, and with her came the world's greatest son."

Lei looked up to his father.

"I don't want to lose him. I don't want to lose my son, nor the love my life. They both make me happy. If I lose the two of them, or even one of them, I don't know what I'm going to do with my life. I need them."

Sokka walked closer to his son, and placed both his hands on his shoulder.

"Seventeen years. I had a son, and I wasn't in his life for seventeen years. I wasn't able to raise him, but I want to make up for that."

Sokka paused, looking directly at his son, "I don't want to miss any other days watching you grow up Lei. I already missed too much."

Lei felt a tear coming out of his eye, but he had to speak up. He wanted to say he needed his father in his life as well. He wanted to tell him...

_But I can't._

"Sorry Sokka," he was able to choke out, "I can't look at you the same anymore."

Lei nudged Sokka's hands out of his shoulders and walked out of his room. This was the second time today Lei did this. For Sokka, all he could do was sit on the edge of his son's guest bed and let the tears come out from his eyes. This time, his pain was even worse than earlier at the dojo.

As for Lei, he found a quiet place on the island where he can let out his emotions as well.

* * *

**I've been waiting to write this chapter! Sometimes I think... "I wonder what a bachelor man would react if they had a rebellious son who disapproved of his father's lifestyle." In this chapter, I was able to show that, kinda I guess. But yeah, I've always was interested in seeing a responsible young man bringing up the atrocious mistakes of his father, or rudely remarking on his father's past brash lifestyle. Then, I like to see the father showing emotion and regret over his past actions.**

**Confession #1: I will admit, even though I had a good time writing this chapter, I felt it didn't come out as good as I wanted it to be. I remember the first time I wanted to write this story. I was so anticipating the time when I'm finally able to write this chapter. However, given the way the story progressed, as I finished writing this chapter, I feel it wasn't as powerful as I wanted it to be. **

**Confession #2: I also feel this way because ever since Korra ended last month, and I'm constantly at other fandoms and reading other fanfictions, it seems my "fanboy" days with Avatar are over. Yes I was a complete fanboy when it came to Avatar and Korra and I was for the longest time, and I will always regard them as some of the best cartoons ever. But as of now, given that I'm primarily "fanboying" over the DC and Marvel Universe (as well as other stuff) and have been for a long time, my passion for Avatar isn't so strong anymore. **

**That's why I feel this story will probably wrap up faster than I thought. I'm sorry if any chapter(s) felt rushed or boring to you guys. I just want to focus on wrapping up the story faster, but still keeping the main idea of the story intact of course. (I shall not leave the story unfinished). But hey, anyone who's still reading, I would still LOVE LOVE LOVE to hear reviews. They would still motivate me, and maybe I might not wrap up the story too fast.**


	19. Broken

**You know when people are hurt, it's easy to make them angry. Their words may be hurtful too. **

**Get ready for this chapter.**

* * *

It was another typical weekday morning for the Avatar. Either it was teaching the acolytes, headed to council, our business meetings. Heck, even his wife would make him go buy groceries.

Today's task was teaching the acolytes about proper meditation and the nomadic lifestyle, much to Aang's delight. He's not in the mood to step foot off this island, for he would rather stay and teach his pupils about his culture.

Right before he stepped out of the house, he saw his eldest son sitting on the couch in the living room. The look on Bumi's face says it all. Any father can tell if something's bothering his son.

Letting out a brief sigh, Aang took a seat next to his teenage son. "What's up kiddo? And don't tell me it's nothing."

Bumi sure was not in the mood to talk, but he knew his father wouldn't go away. "It is something alright."

Aang grew cautious when noticing his spiteful tone. Clearly something had made him angry. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Zhang cut me out of his life."

Aang was flabbergasted. His son and Ronin Zhang had been the best of friends. "Did you guys get in a bad fight?"

"You can say that."

"Oh come on," Aang attempted to assure his son, "Friends always have fights now and then. You can't exactly prevent drama you know. Give it some time. He'll come around."

"I don't think so dad," Bumi stated sternly.

"And what makes you so sure?"

"Because it's all Uncle Sokka's fault."

Suddenly, Aang was alerted. "What do you mean?"

"Zhang's mother is a cheater, and Uncle Sokka was the scum who helped her follow that path," Bumi spoke through his teeth.

Aang didn't know what to say. He never wanted his son, or any of the young ones in the family, to know about this.

"Did you know about this dad?"

Aang gave his son a nervous glance, "Look, Bumi-"

"You knew about this didn't you?" Bumi questioned hatefully.

Aang bothered that he might as well tell the truth. "Yes, I did."

"So why didn't you tell me?!"

"I didn't want to cause any tensions," Aang stated simply, not bothering to raise his voice as high as his son's, "Telling you would only cause more problems. I know how hearing about this will make you feel."

"Sounds like you're also trying to save uncle's butt this whole time."

"No I wasn't Bumi," Aang spoke firmly, "Never would I defend people who would do such things. I was disappointed in Sokka. Very disappointed. But you know what? He realized his mistake and moved on from it. I'm sorry you found out about this now, but at this point, we should all forget about it."

"What are you talking about dad?!" Bumi's voice grew loud once again, "Zhang's house is a mess! His parents are constantly fighting! How'd you think Lei and I found out about this? Zhang told us. He had proof of a letter Uncle Sokka wrote to his mother."

Aang's eyes widened. He had no idea what went on in Zhang's household, nor did he expect a teenager to find out some secrets like this. Moreover, now that he heard Lei knew as well, things are sure getting ugly. "Bumi, I'm really sorry you guys heard about this, but please, don't make things worse than it already is."

"Don't worry," Bumi said as he stood up from the couch, "We're all mature. I'll just stop talking to uncle, and Lei left for Kyoshi Island a few hours ago."

Aang's jaw slightly dropped, "What? He left just like that?"

"Do you blame him?" Bumi said simply. "And I'm headed to do some training now. Need something to keep me distracted."

Once Bumi walked out the room, Aang remained sitting on the couch. His eldest son clearly was not his usual, energetic self. If Bumi is reacting this way, then what about Lei?

All he knew was that things are going to get bad really quick.

* * *

On a typical morning, Sokka and Suki would have a wonderful time waking up with each other. Lots of talks, lots of pleasure, and of course, lots of love. However, today's morning was the first time it wasn't like that.

Something about Sokka was off. This was odd for Suki because Sokka is usually quite energetic in the morning. Today, it seems that something's bothering him. She can clearly tell because Sokka hasn't been acknowledging her ever since they woke up.

As they sat quietly at the dining table eating breakfast, Suki felt that it was time to start talking.

"You know, if something's bothering you, you can just tell me."

Sokka seemed annoyed with her offer. "Nothing's bothering me Suki."

"Come on Sokka."

"Really," Sokka replied as he closes his eyes, "There's nothing to tell."

Suki can tell that he sounded annoyed, but there's something about him that she just couldn't shake off. She can see through him, and right now, he looks hurt. Though it may be hard to tell, only Suki can ever notice he's in pain just by looking at him and hearing his voice.

"Sokka, plea-"

"Suki," Sokka lifted his hand to stop her, "Not right now. Not today."

It hurt her to see him denying her aid. All she wanted to do was help him. She hated seeing him sad, and she hated feeling like she couldn't do anything about it. Too bad for her, Sokka stopped her. As of now, she couldn't do anything about it.

Suddenly, the phone rang.

"I'll get it," Suki addressed, knowing that Sokka wasn't in the mood.

Once she picked up the phone, she tried her best to sound casual. "Hello?"

...

...

"...what?"

Sokka turned to see his girlfriend, who's eyes were widened.

"Why?" Suki asked through the phone, tears forming in her eyes.

This alerted Sokka. What's going on?

Finally, after a few more minutes, Suki was done with the conversation. "Thanks for letting me know Katara," she choked out right before hanging up.

Suki looked at Sokka with saddened eyes.

"What's up? What did Katara tell you?" Sokka asked, worrying about what's going on.

"Lei left to Kyoshi Island."

The words hit him. His son immediately left? That's it? Just like that? Things went extremely bad the day before, and how will things get better if Lei continues to act like this?

Moreover, he can tell Suki is not taking this well either. As a matter of fact, she was oblivious to anything that went on prior to their son's departure. Now, she knows something happened yesterday with her ex-husband and her son.

"So first my boyfriend brushes me off, and now my son leaves me," Suki announced, "Why is it that two of my loving boys are treating me like this?"

Sokka didn't want any more tensions. He and Suki were doing so well with their relationship, and this type of drama was something he wanted to avoid. _Lei, what have you gotten us into?_

"Sokka!" Suki rose her voice, "What happened yesterday?"

Sokka closed his eyes and massaged his temples, while Suki was anxiously waiting for an answer.

Finally, he decided to speak, "Lei and I got into a fight yesterday at the dojo. He and Bumi found out about me and Hu Li."

Suki paused, while feelings of nervousness and worry filled her. This was something she, as well as the rest of the adults, feared would happen. They didn't want the kids to hear about this, but now her son knows.

"We fought during practice," Sokka continued, "He insulted me harshly. It got to the point where I accidently cut him, and he punched me straight across my jaw."

Suki covered her mouth. Never has she heard about her son and her boyfriend being this vial to each other, and this was something she hated to hear.

"After the dojo, I went to talk to him at Aang's island. I wanted to settle things and forget about the fight, but he didn't give me a chance. He cut me out from his life. I can still feel the pain in my jaw, but it's definitely not as bad as the pain in my heart. That's all I can tell you."

This is what Suki feared would happen. For the longest time, she wanted her son to meet his father. She wanted them to get along. She wanted everyone to be happy. It seemed that way for the past few months. Not only was her ex-husband and her son happy, but all of her friends were too. It seemed like one big, extended family.

Up until now.

For what seemed like hours of eerie silence, both the couple remained there. Suki gazed out the window, eyes filled with tears, while Sokka remained sitting at the dining table and not eating one simple thing.

The silence continued, until Sokka spoke up, "You shouldn't have come here in the first place Suki."

Suki turned to her boyfriend, shocked by his statement. "What do you mean?"

"It was a mistake for you to come here. As much as I love you and Lei, I guess it just wasn't meant to be."

Suki couldn't believe it. "So you want me and Lei out of your life? You're rejecting your own son out of your life?!" Her voice rose, anger and sadness evident in her tone.

"I couldn't be his father in the first place!" Sokka shouted in retaliation, "We have you to blame for that!"

Suki froze. She was hurt by the sudden accusation, but she couldn't respond because Sokka stated the truth.

"I've always wanted to be a father," Sokka continued, "But you never gave me the chance. You raised our son without telling me. He went on to grow up without me, and he even looked up to someone else as a father. Meanwhile, I missed out on the whole experience of getting to raise my own little boy."

Suki felt the tears coming out her eyes as Sokka continued blaming her for this whole situation.

"Now it's too late Suki. Lei's all grown, and it's easy for him to kick someone like me out of his life, even when I'm the biological father. It's easy for him to kick me out of his life because I never raised him. I never got the chance to love him. And it's all your fault."

He spoke that last sentence with such malice. That was so unlike Sokka. Suki couldn't take it. She did the first thing she could do, and that was walking out of the apartment as the tears continuously fell out of her cheeks.

As for Sokka, he hated to hurt her like that.

Sadly, it was the truth.

* * *

It's been over two months. Over two months since the last time he stepped foot on Kyoshi Island.

_Home sweet home._

The sun sets as evening is approaching. The sky is orange while the clouds are pink. Boy how he missed this sight. As much as he loved the bustling scene of Republic City, it's great to be back home at a place where life doesn't move too fast. Sure, there's no skyscrapers giving a unique skyline, but the beach, the hills, and the tall trees give Kyoshi Island the most scenic view Lei has ever seen. Coming back from Republic City made Lei appreciate his home even more.

Yet, coming home wasn't so bittersweet. It's hard to feel better when his relationship with his father has been broken. It's quite ironic. Right before he left Kyoshi Island, everyone told him how things are going to end up well. Now that he's back home, things aren't exactly well.

So far, the only thing Lei could appreciate was Kyoshi Island's breathtaking view and no air pollution. Thank goodness the small ship from Republic City made it before the sun went down. He was already lucky enough to snatch an early morning ticket.

As for now, all Lei wanted was to walk to the hill near his home and watch the sunset. He's not in the mood to talk to anyone, nor did he want to go back home and do nothing. Might as well readjust to the setting of Kyoshi Island.

For the next ten minutes, with his backpack on his back, he walked from the port to the village. Crossing his fingers, he hoped no one familiar with spot him. His friends should be home at this time. His mother's friends should be done with work as well.

"Lei?"

It was like his ears perked like a dog when he heard that familiar voice. Oh how he missed that voice, but sadly, he was not in the mood to talk with her.

Lei turned his head, and there she was, "Hey Jia."

"That's it?" Jia asked, though it is quite obvious she is happy to see him, "We haven't seen each other for over two months, the last time we talked on the phone was a week ago, and now that you're here, all I get is that simple greeting?"

Lei smiled, she is so cute. He gave her a hug, to which she happily responded too. It felt so good to be in each other's arms.

"I'm so glad to see you again Lei! I miss you so much!"

"I missed you too Jia," he replied, not wanting to let go of her, "I'm glad I'm here now."

Once they parted from their hug, Jia noticed Lei wasn't in the greatest mood. She knows he truly meant it when Lei said he's glad to be here, but there's something bothering him. She can tell.

"It does look like you're glad to be here, but I don't have to be a spirit to know that there's some sort of negative energy within you. Something bothering you Lei?"

"I don't want to talk about it," he answered as he shifted his eyes away from her gaze.

Jia was saddened. "What's wrong? Did you have a fun trip?"

Lei took a deep breath, "Well for the most part, yes. As of now, I just want to relax and get away for some time."

"Oh, okay," Jia spoke uncomfortably, worrying for him, "Where's Suki?"

"Still at the city."

"Oh." Jia wanted to know what went on, but she didn't want to press any further.

"I'm actually on my way to our casual spot on the hill to watch the sunset. Care to join?" Lei figured it won't be so bad to not be alone for the moment. This is Jia, of course.

"Sure." Jia would always be there for her best friend.

For the next five minutes, they were able to make a short walk to the hill. A short, fast, quiet walk. As they sat on the soft grass, they watched the sky. They've done this a lot of times, but this is the first time in awhile when they're together again.

As for Lei, he missed seeing this beautiful sight. Orange skies, pink clouds, and overall, a healthy atmosphere. No skyscrapers blocking the view, no mobiles driving from place to place, no people talking, no air pollution, and no air balloons in the sky. It's just him, Jia, and mother nature. The silence has never been so full of bliss.

"Are you sure there's nothing you want to vent about Lei?"

And that silence is interrupted.

Lei gave a sigh before he continued to speak, "Keep this between me and you okay?"

Once Jia nodded, Lei continued, "Things went sour pretty quick with my dad."

Jia felt sad for him, "How so?"

"He happened to be dating a married woman awhile ago. That woman was the mother of Bumi's best friend. And because of that relationship, his parents are constantly fighting and Bumi lost a good friend, as did I."

This sudden revelation shocked her. She would never expect the famous Sokka to do such a thing.

"I couldn't look at my dad the same way anymore. That was the type of man I never wanted as my father. I couldn't take it, so I left."

"You just left?" Jia asked curiously, "You didn't even bother letting anyone know you left?"

"Only Bumi knows. I don't care how anyone else reacts."

"Not even you're mother?"

"She has Sokka, and unfortunately for me, she's in love with a man like that. There's nothing I can do."

Jia was surprised with Lei's sudden attitude, and it also disappointed her. She understood why Lei was angry over the fact that his father did something adulterous, but she had to get to the bottom of the facts first before she can pass judgments.

"So about your dad dating this married woman, what did he say about it?"

"What do you mean?" Lei asked curiously.

"Have you confronted him about this?"

"Yeah," he answered as he showed her the faint cut on his arm.

"Omigosh what happened?!" Jia asked fearfully.

"Relax Jia, I was getting to his head purposely while we were having a dual. I rubbed it in his face obscurely, until he couldn't control his emotions. It's alright though, I was able to punch him right in the jaw afterwards."

Jia's eyes widened and her mouth opened as she heard what Lei said to her. He described the scene nonchalantly, as if he didn't care what went on. "What happened after? Is that when you decided to come back to Kyoshi Island?"

"No," he answered, "He came to talk to me once more that night."

"And what did he say?" Jia asked curiously, trying to ignore the cut on his arm.

"He tried to talk to me, trying to make things better. He tried apologizing, telling me how much he regretted his actions and that they'll haunt him for the rest of his life. He also kept going on about loving my mom and wanting her in his life, as well as wanting me in his life too. He made it clear that he wanted to forget his past actions, even if they'll be something he'll regret for the rest of his life. Yet for me, I just couldn't forgive him."

Jia frowned. "But he realized his mistakes, didn't he? He told you he regretted his actions, and he told you he wants to continue his life with you and your mom."

"But you should've seen the way he defended himself Jia!" Lei retaliated, "He kept going on about how he did these things cause he was still upset after separating from my mother! And he said that he dated this woman because he looked like my mother, and he fell for that temptation. Honestly, a man like this can try defending himself all he wants, but it doesn't change the damage he's done. Look at Bumi's friend! My friend! His family is a mess! How could he ever defend himself?"

Jia winced at his outburst. "I'm sorry for what happened to your friend Lei, but I don't think you gave your father a chance."

Lei gave her an angry look, "What are you talking about Jia? You really think I'm going to give him a chance? He's a home wrecker! A man whore! You already know I hate people like these! I hate men like these, so why would I ever have one as a father?!"

"Did you even try to put yourself in his shoes Lei?! Did you do that?!" Jia retaliated, "I know what he did was wrong, really wrong, but he seems like a man who learns from his mistakes. I know from what you just told me. He wants to start his life over with you and your mother, but instead, you just left them! I wonder how he feels right now."

"Are you seriously going to defend him Jia?!" Lei's voice grew even louder.

"You never gave him a chance!" Jia shouted back. "He made a mistake, but he owned up to it. People make mistakes Lei! You're father makes mistakes. You make mistakes, I make mistakes! If you want a father in your life, you can't expect him to be perfect!"

Lei turned his head, avoiding Jia's glare. He himself was getting angry with her for defending his father. "Maybe I don't need a father. I'm just fine without one."

Jia was disappointed with his statement. "I wonder if Sokka is just fine without having a son, now that he knows he has one. I wonder what it feels to have your own child reject you."

"ENOUGH JIA!" Lei shouted. "You were wrong in the first place okay? I never should've attempted to meet him in the first place! It was you telling me that things will be okay. Well guess what? Things are not okay! I gave him a chance to be my father, until I found his true colors!"

"Lei," Jia spoke, not trying to press his buttons too much, "You gave him a chance to be your father, but you never gave him a chance to be forgiven. Fathers makes mistakes too Lei, as do mothers and children."

"Don't even start with me Jia. I don't want to hear any of that crap."

Jia was offended with that statement, "Are you kidding me?!"

"It's hard to forgive someone when they're already dirty. I can't believe I let you and my mom talk me in to meeting my father. You guys were wrong."

Out of all the times Lei and Jia were in arguments, this has to be one of the most intense.

"We're just trying to help Lei! I'm trying to help!"

"Well you were wrong! My father wasn't the man I hoped he would be. He's just like any other conceited or egotistic man you would read from the Republic City newspapers. You were wrong Jia! I wished I never listened to you in the first place! You tried to help me, but listening to you only ended up with me in emotional pain!"

Jia was hurt. "Lei..."

"You should head home Jia."

Surprised with the sudden demand, Jia got up and left.

Once she walked away, Lei could hear a faint cry. He tried to brush it off, for he was in enough pain already. He didn't want to think about his father, nor did he want anyone else to ask him about his visit to Republic City. He just wanted to watch the sunset.

Unfortunately, it was already night time.


	20. Blames and Confessions

**The story is nearing its end. I know how I told you guys previously how my passion in the Avatar fandom isn't quite strong anymore, but I'm trying my best to keep the emotions with these characters intact. Thanks to anyone who's bearing with me and I hope you guys like this chapter, especially if you guys like Lei.**

**And of course, I'll always be an Avatar fan by heart. **

* * *

The next day was pretty quiet. Not quiet in the sense the Lei's not in a bustling metropolis anymore, but quiet in the sense that he was alone. It was like time around him was passing and he's just laying there, frozen.

As much as it pained him to think, Lei told himself that going to Republic City in the first place was a bad idea. Just look at him now, and what's going on with his family back at the city now that they know for sure he left?

He wanted to be with everyone again. He wanted everyone to be happy.

He just wanted to meet his father for the first time... did he? He told himself he never did. Suki and Jia constantly urged him to, but he thought he was mature enough to live life without a father.

But those past few months at Republic City with Sokka, the chairman of the council, was some of the greatest months he ever experienced. His father was awesome. He was like an adult version of Lei himself. It was only two months, but it was very enjoyable. For the first time, Lei was proud to call that man "dad."

However, after hearing about him and Zhang's mother, he just couldn't forgive him. He heard about his father being the "playboy" type on magazines, which is one reason why he never had the best opinion on his father in the first place.

But wrecking a family? No.

Lei couldn't have that type of man as a father.

_Is he really that type of man though?_

The words Jia told him still lingered in his mind. For the mean time, it was best to push his thoughts about his father and focus on his best friend. He had an apology to deliver.

Now that he made it to her front door, he took a deep breath and knocked. Her parents are at work right now, so thank goodness it'll be just the two of them.

After a few more knocks, Jia finally opened the door. She didn't look ecstatic to see him, but Lei can understand.

"Hey."

"Hey," she replied back nonchalantly.

"I'm so sorry I yelled at you last night," he told her, noticing she gave him an unconcerned look. Nonetheless, he continued, "I just wasn't in the best mood. I was angry, and decided to take it out on you. I just wanted to let you know how so-"

"Seriously Lei?"

Lei was surprised that she cut him off in the middle of his apology.

"You really think that's the reason why I'm mad at you?"

Lei was confused, "Look, I know I was hard on you last night and I ju-"

"Stop it Lei. You actually don't know, so don't even apologize to me about last night."

Feeling surprised yet confused, Lei kept his mouth shut, not knowing where Jia was headed with this conversation.

"Answer me these questions: How come you always shut out the people who try help you? Why do you push people away, even when you know they love and care for you?"

Realization dawned on him, and Lei didn't know what to say. He just answered the first thing that came to mind.

"I don't know."

"Well you better find out the answers to those questions, Lei, cause I don't want to end up being hurt again," she choked out, "Neither does anyone else who cares for you."

"Jia, plea-"

Before he pleaded, the door was shut in his face.

With his head down and his eyes closed, Lei walked away.

* * *

"Damn..."

That was all Zuko could have said after hearing everything Sokka told him. He couldn't believe Lei said that to him. Everything was going well these past few months, especially for Sokka. Now, looks like Sokka's past actions caught up to him, and his son was the one who threw it in his face.

"I messed up everything Zuko," Sokka told his best friend unhappily, "My old life came back to haunt me. I hid a secret, and it was that secret that messed up everything. I wish I can go back in time and change everything. I would've stopped myself from talking to Hu Li. Heck, I would've forced myself to go back to Suki."

Sokka's gaze remained on his full plate of beef noodle soup. He did nothing but twirl the noodles around with his chopsticks. They were at Hong's restaurant, Sokka's favorite restaurant, and he hasn't even taken a single bite.

"But I can't change my past actions," he continued, "And now I hurt the people around me."

Zuko sympathized greatly for his best friend, his brother. Yes, Sokka did have some bad habits, but what Zuko likes about him is that he always learns from his mistakes.

"I'm sorry for what's going on right now Sokka, but you must not keep hating yourself like this."

"That's exactly what Aang tried to tell me through a phone call last night. By the way, not only did I hurt my son, but I hurt my nephew too."

Zuko winced. This was something he didn't want the kids to know about.

Sokka placed his elbows on the table, his hands massaging his temples, "I don't know what to do Zuko. I screwed up."

Looking at him sympathetically, Zuko finally had to say what he needed to say, "Look, Sokka, I know you did some pretty stupid stuff back in the day."

"Yeah thanks for reminding me," Sokka replied as he rolled his eyes.

"But you know what makes me proud?"

Sokka looked up, intrigued to what the Fire Lord had to say.

"You learned from your mistakes, and you seek to make yourself a better man," Zuko told him, "You were the one who broke it off with Hu Li. Yes, you looked miserable, but I knew you weren't sad over the break up. You were upset that you even went in a relationship with her in the first place. I was glad to see how you realized the consequences of your actions. Despite your comedic personality, you are always a mature one."

Zuko could've sworn he was a glimpse of hope in his friend's eyes. Nonetheless, he continued, "And you know what makes me happy? You were able to love again. I see the way you look at Suki, and I see the happiness in your face whenever someone mentions Lei. You learned to love again. You put the love of your life, and your own child, above everything. I know for a fact that you gave them the best summer they ever had."

Zuko smiled when he saw Sokka smiling back at him, "And I know you will do it again."

To Sokka, Zuko wasn't always the best when imitating his uncle's wise sayings. However, for this case, this was Zuko's own saying. And boy did it help.

"Thanks Zuko," Sokka spoke softly, "I really needed that."

"Anytime pal, you know I'm always here for you."

"So what do I do now?"

Zuko thought about it, then told him, "You can fix the relationship with your son later, given he's at Kyoshi Island now. What you need to do is talk with Suki."

"I don't know Zuko," Sokka said nervously, "I told you what happened. I probably hurt her."

"And avoiding her would hurt her even more."

Sokka looked down at his plate once again.

"She's going to need you Sokka, just like how you need her."

* * *

Back at Air Temple Island, Suki went to Katara to look for solace. She hated the feeling of sadness, and she hasn't felt this way since her first arrival to Republic City.

On the other hand, Katara was distraught herself. She hated seeing her family stressing out over this situation. Like everyone else, she wants everyone to get along.

"I'm so sorry Suki. I hope things will get better."

"This is all my fault," Suki spoke shamefully.

Katara was surprised, "What are you talking about?"

"I never told Sokka I was pregnant eighteen years ago. If I did in the first place, all this mess would have been avoided."

Both the two of them remained quiet for quite awhile. As painful as it was for Katara to admit, she does think that Suki's right. If she had told Sokka just that, there wouldn't be so much pain for her, Sokka, or Lei.

However, she does know one thing for sure. "It's all in the past Suki. What's done is done. It's all about what you do now."

"What can I do?" Suki questioned sadly, "My son ran away to Kyoshi Island, and Sokka and I aren't on good terms right now. All I wanted was to come here to see if he still loved me, and for him to meet our son."

"He does love you Suki," Katara assured her, "So much. He loves Lei too. I can see it."

"But now that Lei knows about Hu Li, how will he view his father from now on?"

Suki had a point, and that's what made Katara worry. Lei and Sokka only met for two months, and even though they had a great bond, just one bad news can break it. Lei hadn't had Sokka for a father his whole life, and Katara fears that he can just cut him out of his life easily.

"Suki," Katara spoke up once more, "You tell me all the time about how great Lei is, right?"

"He's the best thing that ever happened to me, Katara."

"Then he'll come back. Trust me. I may not have known of him for all these years, but based on what you tell me, I just know he'll come back."

Suki felt comforted to hear Katara saying this about her son. Boy how she hopes she's right.

"And what about Sokka?" Suki also worried about the man she loves.

"Come on, you know Sokka. Just like Lei, he'll come back to you. They are father and son, so they have the same traits."

Katara smiled at her, only to have Suki wrapping her arms around her into a warm hug. She hugged back of course.

Suki felt so lucky she had a friend like Katara. She was always so hopeful, so full of confidence. It's hard to be sad or doubtful when someone like Katara knows how to lighten someone's day.

"Go talk with Sokka, Suki. Both of you need to settle this. I have faith in you guys."

Suki felt nervous, for she did not want any drama again. However, she knew Katara was right.

* * *

The moon illuminated the night sky, with multiple stars shining everywhere. To Lei, this was one of the perks of living in a quiet place. No noise, no pollution, no city lights, just the beauty of the natural world. The temperature was just right, and the breeze was comforting.

On his casual spot on the hill, Lei laid with his back on his blanket, his hands behind his head, and looked up towards the night sky. It was beautiful. After all the things that happened lately, it felt nice to finally be in peace and serenity.

For once, he felt cozy. That was, until he heard footsteps walking his way.

He turned his head and was surprised to see Koji walking his way over.

"Nice to see you again, Lei."

Though he didn't feel like talking right now, he responded, "Nice to see you again too, Koji."

"Can we talk?"

Lei let out a sigh and sat up, allowing Koji to sit next to him on the blanket.

"So, I ran into Jia earlier today. She told me everything. Don't worry, this is going to be between us and us only."

Lei let out another sigh. He wasn't going to be mad at Jia, since it's not her fault. However, he hates talking about situations like these. It just seems to make everything more complicated.

"I really don't know what to say," Lei told him.

"You can start by trying to answer the questions she gave you."

Lei rolled his eyes and let out another sigh, this time louder than the previous ones. "How the hell am I suppose to answer?! What do you guys want me to answer?!"

Koji didn't even flinch when hearing the anger in Lei's tone. He's known Lei for a long time, so he's aware of his emotions under certain conditions.

"Answer what you think is the right answer," Koji told him simply.

Lei looked away and clenched his teeth. He was angry, but he doesn't know why. "I went to Republic City to visit my father. I had a blast, but then I learned something about my father I never knew of. And let's just say, I lost all respect for him."

Koji knew exactly what Lei was talking about. He knew of Hu Li. Ty Lee kept him updated. Why else would Suki be visiting Republic City? The man she once loved went on a relationship with a married woman who looked like her. Thank goodness that man broke it off, which meant to Koji that Sokka actually had a mature side.

It makes sense that Lei is upset over this. Why else would he get this worked up right now? He always knew that Lei wondered what his father was like, and he remembered how Lei despised any notion that he was an arrogant type. Nonetheless, he continued the conversation without mentioning Hu Li.

"Lei, tell me the truth. These past few months at Republic City, how were they? And only tell me about the last few months, nothing before, nothing after."

Lei stayed silent for a few seconds and answered, "It was one of the best summers I ever had. My father actually turned out to be really cool. I was proud to call Sokka my dad. Then, I learned about his past actions, and let me just say, it totally twisted my opinion about him."

"Now stop right there," Koji stated, "You found out about his past actions, and that's when you started disliking him, right?"

"Yeah," Lei replied simply and quietly.

"So you're basically judging him based on what he did in the past, correct?"

Lei rolled his eyes, "Where are you going with this Koji?"

"You just told me that you were proud to call Sokka your dad. You just told me how, because of Sokka, you had the one of the best summers ever. So if that's the case, why did you let one of his past actions cloud your judgment?"

Getting fed up with his questions, Lei replied spitefully, "What the heck do you want from me Koji? I'm seriously not in the mood."

"See! There you go again!" Koji stated, "Shutting me out. Shutting us out."

Lei closed his eyes and spoke through clenched teeth, "It's easier that way."

"Is it really Lei? Is it really?"

"Can you stop?!" Lei angrily shouted, "You broke up with my mother years ago! You left my life years ago! So what are you doing talking to me again?!"

Koji took a deep breath before he spoke softly, "That's the thing, Lei. I never wanted to leave your life. Your mother and I, things didn't work out between us. I still cared for you greatly, but you shut me out. You know how much that hurts?"

Lei looked away from him once again and brought his knees close to his body, wrapping his arms around them. He didn't respond.

"Lei," Koji urged him, "Do you not want me in your life anymore?"

No response.

Seeing how Lei wouldn't talk, Koji prepared to get up and leave.

"Wait."

Finally, Lei was willing to talk. Koji remained seated and listened to what Lei had to say.

"I never had a father in my life, and you were like a father figure to me when you and my mom were dating," Lei told him softly, "After you and mom broke up, things didn't feel the same anymore. It felt weird. "

Lei paused briefly, shutting his eyes. As for Koji, he was curious to hear the rest of it.

"I wanted to be happy," he continued, "I wanted my mother to be happy. I wanted to have a father who loved and cared for me. You, me, mom, we were like a happy family, but it wasn't that way anymore once you left. I was back to being the fatherless kid. It was then when I realized, I didn't need a father. I never needed a father. It was just me and my mom, and I'm totally cool with that. Whether I was a mistake or not, I know my mother loves me."

Koji sympathized for him, but his last sentence caught him by surprise. "Wait, what did you just say?"

"What?" Lei looked back at him.

"Did you just call yourself a mistake?"

Lei took a deep breath and shut his eyes once again, "I always knew my birth was an accident. Clearly my father and my mother didn't choose to make me. If they did, I would have been raised with a father. I was brought into this world unexpectedly."

Koji looked at him with much sympathy. He never knew Lei even thought about this.

"Lei, you know you're the best thing that happened to your mother right?"

Lei didn't respond.

Koji continued, "You were what kept her going. She loves you so much. Maybe you're right that she didn't expect your birth, but believe me when I say she loves you so much."

"I know that," Lei replied, "And I love her just as much. It's just..."

Lei paused, tears starting to form in his eyes.

"Just what Lei?"

"I would always see how stressed my mom was," Lei spoke solemnly, "She often looked so sad, like she needed someone to be by her side, and just me wasn't enough. I never told anyone this, but I wished I had a father. One that made me and mom happy. I never liked Sokka in the first place because I believed that if he truly loved my mom, he would have came back to her. Then, when my mom met you, you made her happy in a way I never could."

Lei paused and choked out, "That's why I started hating you after you left. We weren't a big, happy family anymore."

Lei started to sniffle, and Koji did what his first instinct told him. He brought Lei into a warm hug.

"Lei, I'm sorry you feel that way," Koji told him. Never before has Lei opened up like this. "I loved you so much. You were like a son to me. You're mom and I, we didn't work out, but I still love your mom like a friend, just like I love you as a son. You may not be my biological son, but I loved you like one. Still do."

Lei hugged him tighter, to which Koji happily responded to.

"I missed you Koji, I missed you a lot."

"I missed you too Lei. So much. So now, can you answer Jia's questions?"

After they broke apart from their hug, Lei was prepared to answer.

"Because I always thought it was easier to push my problems out of the way. That's why I push those who try to help away from me. Whenever, you, Jia, my mom, and even my dad tried to help me, I push you guys away because I don't want to be hurt even more, and I don't want to hurt you guys either. I don't want you guys to get even more hurt because of me."

To Koji, that was a beautiful answer, particularly that last part.

"I lived my life without a father," Lei continued, "I wondered what he would think of me. I pictured the perfect image of what I wanted my father to be like. When I first met Sokka, he accurately fitted that description, until I found out something I didn't want to find out."

"And that is the problem Lei," Koji claimed, "You can't expect people to be perfect right?"

Lei thought about it, and Koji was right. _Was I really that selfish?_

"Life is not perfect Lei. People will always make mistakes. There will always be problems, but that's why we have people we love. People who love us. They help us get through these problems. Even more so, we look to each other to fix and forget our mistakes."

Lei felt comfortable when hearing Koji's wise words, "I guess that's why I have a habit of pushing you guys away. I expect life to be perfect, and when it's not the way I want it to be, I shut people out to avoid hurting myself and others."

"But wouldn't that hurt them even more Lei? Trust me, I know."

Koji had a point.

Then, he realized, he hurt Koji all these years by shutting him out. Now, he hurt his best friend, and his father. He embraced Koji and silently cried.

"I'm sorry Koji," he choked out, "I'm sorry for cutting you out of my life. I never hated you. I'm so sorry."

Koji hugged back, "I forgive you Lei. Now, can you do one more thing?"

They slowly pulled out of their hug while Lei looked at him curiously, wiping the tears out of his eyes. "Yeah?"

"Fix the problem with your father. Fix the problem with Jia. Make them smile, make them happy, make them feel as great as you're making me feel right now."

Koji smiled at the young man who he viewed as a godson to him, and Lei smiled back.


	21. Time To Rebuild

Lei usually enjoys watching the sunset, but for today, as he's on his early morning boat trip back to Republic City, he's currently enjoying watching the sunrise over Kyoshi Island. Though it was not as beautiful as the sunsets he's accustomed too, it painted a different image of his home. It was like Kyoshi Island is a bright and shining mecca. It will always be his home, and Lei will know that wherever he goes or wherever he ends up in his life.

It's crazy how he arrived home just the day before yesterday, and now he's on the way back to the big city again. Of course, the trip back home was certainly not a waste. He learned a great lesson from someone he would have never expected to help him. Thanks to Koji, Lei opened up, with the help of some pressure from Jia of course.

_Jia..._

He thought of her last night. How to apologize, how to explain things, how to explain himself, he thought about it all. Then, it all came down to one conclusion. People may have seen it already when it comes to his feelings for Jia. A "best friend," he would tell everybody. A "best friend," he would tell himself.

That conclusion, he couldn't tell her face to face. That is exactly why he left a note for her. Sure, it may sound shallow. Sure, he may be showing a sign weakness again, but he'll admit, he's not strong enough to tell her in front of her face. Looks like he's pulling one of those "tell them and avoid them" maneuvers.

He hopes things don't turn sour. No, he wishes the exact opposite.

But for now, he'll just let things unfold, for he has already set the plan in motion.

Now, he has other plans.

His parents.

* * *

Jia, the pretty girl with a smile always on her face, was not quite in the best of moods today. How could she be? A pain from a best friend can hurt a lot.

Her mother would be one of the first persons to notice Jia in a different mood. Before she went to work, Ty Lee had to gain some insight on this.

"Honey, you haven't eaten breakfast yet," she told her daughter who's laying in bed.

"Not hungry yet mom," she told her mother. With her mind being distracted, it was hard to get hungry.

Frowning, Ty Lee replied, "Okay, just hurry before the afternoon comes. I'll see you after work okay?"

"Yep. See you later mom."

Walking out of her room, Ty Lee prepared to leave the house to the dojo. She missed having Suki there. As for the case with her daughter, she knew something was up. She was aware Lei came back, and why is it that her daughter is unexpectedly sad all of a sudden? It has to do with Lei, she assumed. So that would mean something happened to Lei, and that would mean something happened over at Republic City.

Thinking about it made her stomach hurt. Something bad definitely happened. She wanted Suki to get along with Sokka again, and she wanted Lei to meet his father. Now, it seems that life for them took a bad turn. Ty Lee can only hope that things are not as bad as they seem.

Just then, once she stepped out of the house, she saw a letter laying on the mat, right in front of the door.

It was from Lei.

Thinking it might be some sign of hope, she grabbed the letter and rushed to give it to her daughter.

"Jia, honey, there's a letter for you."

Sitting up and looking at her mother curiously, Jia took the letter from her hands.

"I have to rush to work now honey. See you soon. Love you!"

"Love you too mom," she spoke quietly, distracted by Lei's name written on this letter.

Once her mom left the room, Jia opened the letter and read.

_Jia,_

_You were right._

_I do push people away, especially the ones who love me. Especially the ones I love._

_My whole life, I tried to find the easiest solutions to my problem. I grew up without a father, and I realize I didn't want one. As I got older, I thought I was perfectly fine without a father._

_Want to know the truth though? _

_I was doing Sokka a favor for not letting myself in his life. Before and after I met him, I thought it was best that I should never be in his life. I feared the possibility that he may not be the man I pictured as a father. _

_And that's my problem. I expected a father to be perfect, but I ignored the fact that no one is perfect. _

_I did Sokka a favor by staying away from his life, because I know I would make things worse. I can't handle my emotions sometimes, and my anger often gets the best of me. Especially in a situation where I meet my dad for the first time. If I stayed, I know my emotions might take over, and next thing you know, not only would I hurt Sokka, but a bunch of other loved ones too._

_And that's the situation with you as well. I don't want to hurt you, because nothing hurts me more than seeing you in pain. A pain caused by me. A pain caused by the fact that I can't handle my emotions._

_That's why I push people away. It's easier to stay away from problems when you stay out of other people's business. _

_But Koji made me realize something. _

_Pushing people away will only hurt them even more._

_What kind of fool am I to stay from the people I care about? The people who want to help me._

_So as you're reading this letter, I want you know to something. _

_As you are reading this now, I am currently on my way to Republic City to make things right, but I'm going to say one thing to you in a letter because I admit, I don't have the guts to tell you face to face._

_Truth is, I love you Jia. More than a best friend._

_I've always loved you. You're beautiful, caring, and loving. You always knew how to put a smile on my face. As the days go by, I find myself falling for you even more._

_I love you Jia, and I'm a fool for pushing you away._

_-Lei. _

And when Jia finished reading her letter, she felt a tear escape her eye, and she could have sworn she felt a smile on her face.

* * *

Sokka sat on the couch in the living room. He didn't have that much of a good sleep, again. Suki was still asleep in the bedroom, but the couple still hadn't exchanged a word ever since their last incident. It's like they're avoiding each other, but one is expecting the other to say something first.

The Southern Water tribe warrior thought back to the good old days, when they were young. Things weren't so dramatic, and everyone loved each other. Boy how he missed those days. They saved the world and they saved each other.

Sokka missed the days when he was a young hero. Was it really that long ago? He thought back to how he looked like all those years ago...

...and he saw Lei.

His son, created by him and Suki.

His son, with the beautiful purple eyes his mother has.

His son, the young man he wanted to raise, but never had the chance too.

His son, who seems to be just fine living his life without a father.

And it was that last statement that hit him hard. It probably even hit him harder than the statement before that. Heck, just that notion hurts more than the punch in the face he received back at the dojo.

Just when he was lost in thoughts, he heard the bedroom door open.

His love is awake, and there she is walking into the living room.

_Still so beautiful. Always has been, always will be._

His Kyoshi Warrior went to the kitchen looking to prepare breakfast. Just then, Sokka trailed right behind her without her knowing, and once she reached the kitchen counter, he surprised her with a hug from behind.

Finding comfort in his arms, she relaxed in his warm embrace.

"I'm sorry," he whispered into his ear.

She turned around, looking at his sincere blue eyes, and kissed him. It was a long, sweet kiss. A kiss after an apology always felt so great.

Once they parted from their kiss, they smiled warmly at each other. She brought him back over to the living room, letting themselves sit on the couch with their hands still interlocked.

"I'm sorry too," she told him as well.

Sokka was surprised, "Why are you sorry?"

Suki took a deep breath, as if bile was going to come up her throat. She swallowed and told him, "Everything you said was right."

Not wanting her to be hard on herself, Sokka replied, "Suki, please don't take that ser-"

"No Sokka," she cut in, "If only I told you I was pregnant, I knew you would certainly come back to me. We would've been a family, but I let my fear and stupidity get in the way. I was afraid of getting hurt again. I was afraid we were going to continue fighting in front of our child. I was afraid of not getting to be with you again while you had to go off to fulfill your duties, and it was that damn logic that prevent me from telling you about Lei. If I did tell you, we would have avoided this mess."

Sokka stared at her for what seemed like the longest time. Then, his gaze shifted away, indicating he was contemplating his thoughts as well.

Finally, he grabbed her hands tighter and spoke, "Thanks for the apology Suki, but I consider myself at fault as well. I was an egotistical idiot always traveling to places to achieve something, even when I didn't need to. Somehow, I thought I needed to. My mind was so focused on being the famous warrior I was, achieving accomplishments and garnering praise. Yet, I seemed to have neglected you. You were the love of my life, and still are. That was when our marriage fell apart. And after I left, I should've came back. Eighteen years, and I never came back once. Clearly I missed out. So let me say as well and again, I'm sorry Suki."

This time, it was Suki who stared at him for awhile.

Instead of awkward tensions or serious drama, both had the look of shame and sympathy plastered all around their faces.

For Suki, she did the first thing she thought of. She kissed him.

As for Sokka, he let himself enjoy her soft lips as he kissed back vigorously.

There was simply no time for sad tears or talks of shame. They needed each other's love, because that's the only thing that can guide them through tough times.

Before they continued, Suki stopped and had a final statement, "Let's just forget about what we did in the past and focus on what to do now." She spoke through soft words as kindly and sincerely as ever.

"Couldn't agree anymore," he said as he kissed her back.

It was a strong, powerful kiss. Nothing intimate, but still affectionate. Full of want.

Sokka and Suki loved each other intensely. Whatever happens, they will get through it together.

Especially for the sake of their son.

* * *

Later that evening, Sokka made a trip to Air Temple Island.

Rekindling his feelings with Suki was easy because nothing would break their love, especially an argument.

Fixing his relationship with his son, that will be a hard one.

For now, he'll think of that later. There's one other young person who Sokka needs to talk to.

"Well Sokka, he's over there by the courtyard."

"Thanks Aang..."

The Avatar didn't have to use his knowledge of chakras to know that his water tribe friend is having problems with some.

"Sokka, I'm sorry for what happened, but I'm glad you're taking steps to fix this."

"I don't know Aang," he told him nervously, "Bumi, Lei, it's totally understandable to why they're mad at me. They're young too, so they might not be so accepting of my apology."

The Avatar placed a hand on his shoulder, "Don't back off now Sokka. You'll fix this. You always do."

Giving his brother-in-law a small smile, Sokka began walking towards his nephew sitting on a bench, while Aang walked back inside.

As for Bumi, the second he turned his head towards the sound of footsteps, he noticed his uncle walking towards him.

_Uncle..._ He thought with a grunt. He didn't want to address him as that anymore.

Once Sokka sat next to him, Bumi turned away, not daring to look him in the eye.

"Bumi, I don't know what else to say besides I'm sorry."

"Trust me uncle, that's all you can say. Too bad it'll never be enough."

Sokka shut his eyes. _This will be harder than I thought. _

"Bumi, I know what I did was wrong. I'm sorry you lost a friend. I'm so so-"

"You disappoint me uncle," the teenager hissed.

Those words hurt.

"You of all people," Bumi continued, "I would never expect someone like you to do this."

Judging from his tone, Sokka obviously knew how upset Bumi was. However, Bumi's tone was marked with disappointment and hurt, as opposed to Lei's tone of anger and betrayal. Either way, they both affected Sokka just as much.

"I decided to stop my hobby of sword fighting," Bumi told his uncle solemnly.

Sokka was taken by surprise.

"I lost interest in it for awhile now," the teenager continued, "I never told you, but now, it's easy to tell you for some reason."

Every pause Bumi took felt like an eternity for Sokka. It was hard to hear his nephew telling him this. It may seem like insults coming from his angered mind, but truly, Bumi was hurt. Sokka can easily sense it.

His beloved nephew, whom he bonded with the ways of the sword just as he did with Lei, now confessed he dislikes swords. In a way, it was like an analogy to their relationship falling apart.

"I always looked up to you uncle. I've always wanted to make you happy. You and dad are some of the best role models ever. You, were one of the best role models ever."

Sokka could hear his voice crack, and his own voice wanted to crack too while he tried to speak, "I'm so sorry Bumi. I'm stupid, I'm foolish. I wish I can gain that status back, but I know I can't."

"I tried my best to understand, uncle. I tried to understand why someone like you would do this. No matter what type of reasons I come up with, I can never dawn on the fact that you risked ruining a family. A family of a friend of mine. Why uncle?"

This time, Bumi looked at him. His eyes were begging for answers. Begging for an understanding. An understanding that would take this pain away from him. An understanding that he knows he'll never truly understand.

Sokka looked down, for he knew there was only one answer, "There's no good reason for what I did Bumi. I was foolish, arrogant, lonely, and I let temptation lead my way. I did a horrible thing, and I know I can never take it back. I committed a bad act, and now I have to live on with it for the rest of my life. Even worse, I hurt the people around me."

To Sokka, honestly was the best policy. In this case, it was hard to tell whether Sokka was stating this to Bumi, or himself.

As for Bumi, he looked down as well, finding it hard to look at his uncle. Everything about his image just seemed to change.

"Bumi..." Sokka placed a hand on his nephew's arm, "Do you hate me?"

No response.

"Bumi, I lost a son. I can't handle losing a nephew too."

Bumi felt tears forming in his eyes, but he will not dare let them fall. "You were the best uncle ever to me, but when I heard about this, I just want to hate you. I don't necessarily hate you, but I want to."

His nephew stated that with a cracked voice, while Sokka sat next to him full of pain. The pain of his mistakes, and the pain that his mistakes affected his nephew and son, it was all overwhelming.

"Is it too late for me to get another chance?" This time, Sokka's voice also cracked. He is not going to lose his beloved nephew either.

"I know you may look at me differently. I know you don't like fighting with swords now either. I know things will be different, but can I still be your uncle? Can I still prove to you that I can still be the best uncle ever? I love you so much Bumi, and I can't lose my nephew."

A tear fell out of Sokka's eye, and Bumi noticed.

Sokka stretched his hand out to Bumi, "Please Bumi? I already lost a son."

Seeing that he can't look back now, Bumi hoped for some good fortune. He will always be mad at Sokka because he's the reason why he lost a friend, but Bumi himself knows that anger is never a good thing to keep inside of you. His father told him that.

In response, Bumi took his uncle's hand.

They both shook hands.

Sokka felt relief, while Bumi hoped for the best.

For Bumi, if he were to be honest, he did not feel comfortable. His image of his uncle completely changed. It'll be hard to gain that image back, but Bumi unconsciously decided to give it a shot.

Then, another familiar voice came.

"Glad to see things worked out."

Bumi and Sokka turned to see Lei facing them.

"Bumi, can I borrow my dad for a minute?"


	22. Rebuilding

After glancing back and forth at his uncle and cousin momentarily, Bumi got up and left after saying "sure."

Once both father and son were alone, the awkward silence was so tense that it could be felt. Sokka wondered what to say, but couldn't say anything. Lei stood in front of his father while Sokka remained seated.

Finally, much to his luck, his son spoke.

"I'm sorry, dad."

Feeling content, yet surprised, Sokka looked up to his son who looked so much like him, "You're sorry?"

"Yeah. I'll admit, I was kind of a douche."

If things weren't so serious right now, Sokka would have giggled. Only Lei will be able to apologize while maintaining a cool demeanor.

"It's okay Lei," Sokka tried to assure him, "You don't need to apologize. I'm the one who should say sorry becau-"

"No dad," Lei halted him, "You already said your apology. Now, I have to say mine."

Though he didn't show a smile, Sokka felt a comfortable feeling within him. It is primarily due to how mature his son is acting. That, and it felt great to be called "dad" again.

"Lei, before you say what you want to say, I should say something myself first."

Intrigued, Lei let his father speak first.

"I know I apologized already, but I'll start with that again. I'm sorry I hurt you. I'm sorry I hurt Bumi. That's one of the worst things I did, and because of that, I hurt the people I love. I was weak, and I regret how weak I was. I'm pretty sure that's something I'm never going to be able to let down, because I'll remember what I did every single day of my life."

Lei could see the change of expression on his father's face, and the tone in his words showed how serious he was. The almighty Sokka has never looked so fragile.

"I wish I wasn't so weak. I gave into temptation, and because of that, I hurt the people around me. I hurt my family and friends as well, and I know I'm never going to be able to let that down. I completely ruined my image."

Before, Lei was disappointed at his father's weakness when he first proclaimed it. Now, he can't help but sympathize for him. His words were truly sincere.

"I wished I went back to your mother after I left her. I didn't want to go back because I wanted to move on, but you want to know the truth? Not only did I want to move on, but I felt like going back to her would only hurt her more. If things ended badly, how will I know if things will get better or worse if I went back to Kyoshi Island? I thought I was doing both of us a favor when I left, but clearly that wasn't the best idea. I kept thinking…. I was just…"

"You pushed her away because you don't want to be hurt anymore, and you don't want to hurt her anymore as well," Lei continued for his father.

Slowly looking up to his son, Sokka replied, "Yeah…. That's right."

Lei finally took a seat next to his father, "That's what I learned about myself recently. I push people away too. Anyone, especially those who care about me. Whenever things get rough, I push people away because I wanted to avoid problems. That way, I won't get hurt and neither would anyone else. Now I realize that fixing my problems is much better than avoiding them, and there's no problem with letting people who care help me. As a matter of fact, pushing people away will not decrease their chances of getting hurt. It only hurts them more. So I'm sorry dad. I'm sorry to you and mom. We all make mistakes, even me."

Lei looked at his father, who smiled back at him.

Sokka was proud. He didn't spend the last seventeen years raising this child, but he turned out to be one incredible young man.

"I guess I'm just like you dad. We push people away thinking it's the best solution, but we actually hurt them even more. I guess that's one reason why I can't hold a grudge against you, cause you remind me of myself. I really am your son."

Tears would have definitely fallen from Sokka's eyes if he didn't tried to hold them back, but it was impossible to hide how wet his eyes were. He placed a hand on his son's shoulder and told him, "I'm proud of you son."

The words hit him, very slowly. Something about those words felt very comfortable to Lei. Those are the types of words any man would want to hear from his father, and Lei just heard it.

"Proud? For what?"

Sokka smiled back, "You're wise. You're intelligent. You're handsome, which you can thank me for by the way," he told his son, allowing him to giggle, "But it makes me so proud to see how you know the right things to say. You don't know how happy I am to have you here telling me this."

Lei smiled back. He's glad to make his father feel this way. "You know dad, my whole life, I never cared about having a father. I honestly thought it was your fault for never coming back to my mom, but then I learned it was mom's fault for never telling you about me either. And of course, it was my fault for never even wanting to know about you in the first place. We're all at fault. But now..."

Sokka looked at his son, curious to what he has to say next.

"I have an amazing father, and I wouldn't trade him for the world."

This time, Sokka let the tears fall as he embraced his son.

"And I have the best son in the world."

Lei felt the emotion between them as well as he hugged back. A father and son bond never felt so great.

* * *

On another part of the island, Bumi strolled around minding his own business. He wondered what his uncle and cousin were talking about. For some reason, he felt sure that things will turn out okay. If he and his uncle can resolve their problems, Lei can do that with his uncle as well.

It was just then when Mariko came, having had to track Bumi for quite a few minutes.

"Bumi, you have a guest waiting for you by the courtyard."

With an eyebrow up, Bumi asked, "Who?"

"Ronin Zhang," she replied calmly as she walked back.

Bumi was alarmed. Why would he be back? He was hoping for another chance at friendship, but in the back of his mind, he was afraid of another fight. Nonetheless, he headed for the courtyard.

Once he made it there, he could see Zhang waiting, looking right at him as he approached. Bumi prepared for whatever conversation there would be between him and his best friend, or ex-best friend.

"Hey Bumi," Zhang spoke softly.

"Hey. What's up?" He replied in the same volume.

"I just came here to apologize about what I said last time," Zhang told him, "I'm sorry if I hurt you."

Bumi felt relieved. Even when it seemed like it, he did not lose faith that he would lose his best friend.

"Thanks Zhang, and I'm sorry for what you're dealing with. I had a hard time dealing with it myself when I found out, but I really don't want this to harm are friendship."

"Me neither bro."

On the inside, Bumi smiled at that. _Bro…_

"I'm not sure I can look at my mom the same anymore," Zhang continued, "But my parents are doing whatever they can to work on their relationship. I may not exactly like your uncle that much anymore either, but I don't want that to affect us as friends."

"Of course it won't buddy. We're bros and we always will be."

Zhang smiled, and they both gave each other a firm handshake and a pat on the back.

"If it makes you feel better, I'm not sure I can look at my uncle the same way either, but he claimed that he is going to make a change. Chances are, your mother will do the same. I know it. We just have to put faith in the people we love, you know? It sucks, the mistakes people can make, but we have to get through it."

"I agree," Zhang replied, "I just wish some adults can just watch their actions before they perform them. Whatever they do can badly affect their families."

"I know Zhang, trust me," Bumi told him, "All we can do is forgive and forget, or try to forget. No matter what though, we'll get through this. I'm just glad to have you as my best friend."

Though Zhang wasn't in the best mood because of current events, he still smiled for Bumi. "I feel the same way."

* * *

Suki gazed out the large window from Sokka's apartment. Republic City looks so amazing at night. So energetic, so bright, and so full of life. Aang and Zuko did a great job starting this city from scratch.

She wondered how Sokka's doing now. Hopefully by now, Bumi was able to forgive him. She knew Sokka had to do this alone, but she has faith that Sokka will make things right. After all, Sokka had a talent for allowing people to forgive him. She's known Sokka for over twenty years of her life, and if it's something that always made her fall for him, it was that irresistible Sokka charm.

As she looked out the window, she wishes he was here. Arms in arms. It felt so comfortable to be around him, and she wishes he was here sitting with her looking at this wonderful view from his apartment.

Suddenly, she heard a knock on the door. Thinking it was him, Suki rushed to the door, excited to see her beloved boyfriend back home.

Once she opened the door, she was surprise to find not her boyfriend, but her son. Nonetheless, she was still excited.

_Another boy I love dearly._

"Lei," she spoke happily, "You're back!"

"I had to make things right," her son replied back, "Can we sit and talk?"

"Oh...sure," Suki answered as she and her son went into the living room. She was surprised by the sudden serious tone in his voice. Whatever he had to say, she was all ears.

"Dad and I are cool now. You don't have to worry."

Suki felt a sigh of relief within her. Finally, her two boys were able to resolve each other's conflicts. It's what a father and son should do. That's what makes everyone family.

"I'm glad you two settled things."

"You can thank Koji for that."

Surprised, Suki asked curiously, "What do you mean?"

"I talked with him back at Kyoshi Island. We had a good conversation."

Suki was baffled that her son just admitted that he had a nice talk with her ex-boyfriend. For the past years, Lei had been shoving him aside. Now, they managed to talk?

"What did you guys talk about?" She asked curiously.

"He made me realize things about me," he admitted to his mother, "That I push people who I love away whenever I have problems, but the main thing he made me realize was that I wanted to avoid these problems so that no one gets hurt, especially the people I love. I don't want myself to get hurt, nor do I want you, dad, Koji, or Jia getting hurt."

"But Lei," Suki added in, "Avoiding us will only hurt us more, especially when we want to help you or be around you Lei. We love you so much."

"And that's another thing I realized," Lei replied, "I hurt you guys more. I'm sorry mom. You know, I can be such a prick sometimes. I can't handle my emotions sometimes, and you never know when I could just snap. I just don't want you guys to see that. I hate myself for that more than you guys do."

Quickly, Suki brought her son into a warm embrace, "Lei, I love you so much. You are the greatest thing that ever happened to me, and I'll always tell you that. I can never hate you."

"Thanks mom," he told her, hugging her back.

Once they pulled apart, Suki added, "Things have been rocky lately, but I'm just so happy everyone is getting along again."

"Yeah, I guess we were all at fault with this mess right? You never told dad about your pregnancy, dad never came back to you, and of course, I was the one who told you that I never wanted a dad all those years ago."

"We're all at fault Lei," Suki spoke solemnly, "I've had this talk with your father many times before. I wish I could have done things differently, and so did he, but it's too late. All we can do is look forward, instead of dwelling on the wasted years."

After a short silence, Lei spoke, "But hey, how much fun have we had these past few months?"

Suki smiled, "Some of the best months ever. You know how happy I was to see you and your father get along so well?"

"It truly felt like family, the three of us," Lei commented, thinking back to the past few months.

"Of course," Suki replied, also reminiscing, "I enjoyed it so much."

"You know what mom? Things may have been so hard lately, with our lives and relationships, but we did a heck of a good job at **rebuilding**, didn't we?"

"Yes Lei," she smiled brightly at her son, "We did."

Lei responded by giving his mother another hug.

"Well, I gotta go downstairs to get my stuff. Dad is waiting downstairs."

"Your stuff?" Suki asked intriguingly.

"Yep! The guest bedroom will be my bedroom now."

"Really! That's fantastic!" Suki exclaimed happily. Finally, now they can feel like a true family with a home.

"Glad to see you're so thrilled," Lei giggled, "Dad was just as thrilled too."

"I'll go get your room ready. You go downstairs and help your father!"

"No problem." But before they parted tasks, Lei had one more thing to ask, "Oh by the way..."

"Yes?" His mother looked at him curiously.

"How easy was it for you guys to notice I was in love with Jia?"

Suki was surprised by the sudden question, but she nonetheless smiled at her son, "Very easy. As for me, I noticed since you were a kid. I always saw it, and it wasn't so hard for your father to notice just by looking at your face when you talk about her."

"Wow, I'm bad at keeping secrets even when my mouth was closed," he commented as he left the apartment for the moment.

Suki just stood there and laughed to herself.


	23. Time To Finish (Rebuilt)

_One month later_

Lei and Bumi just finished having lunch at the dining hall, but decided to remain there and let their stomachs digest. It's been a month, and things are back to normal.

Sokka even tried his best making amends. Heck, he even tried to talk with Zhang. Though it was clear that Zhang hated his guts, and everyone can see it, he still promised that he won't purposely be a burden. That was enough for Sokka and Bumi.

For Bumi, seeing his uncle try was good enough.

For Lei, he already learned that everyone makes mistakes, whether it's someone as old as his father or as young as himself.

"Ready for another night out with Zhang later?" Bumi asked his older cousin.

"Yep," he replied happily, "I'm excited. All of us guys can just hang and relax. No more stupid ass drama."

"Yeah..." Bumi whispered contently, "I'm just glad everything's back to normal. It's like nothing bad happened at all."

"And we're just continuing on with our lives," Lei added in, "I'm glad too Bumi. Glad to be here with you guys."

"Me too Lei. Me too." Bumi was happy to hear his cousin say that. It truly meant a lot.

"I hear you don't like using swords anymore?"

Suddenly, that question took him by surprise. "Oh... yeah, I guess uncle Sokka told you."

"No worries, Aang and dad are saying you're taking an interest in fighting and combat now."

"Yeah... that's true," Bumi replied softly.

Lei lifted an eyebrow, "Bumi, come on, why do you seem so uncomfortable right now? Be proud of yourself!"

Bumi sighed, "It's just that uncle and I bonded so much through swords, and it's one thing that got the both of us to bond as cousins as well. Shit, I bonded with Zhang that way too. Now that I realized I have no interest in swords anymore, it's like I'm getting rid of the one hobby that got all of us together."

Lei understood, but smiled nonetheless, "Oh come on Bumi. Yeah, your right, that was one thing that helped bonded us, and we had a heck of a good time didn't we? But that's not what led me to like you. It's you being you, and that's what makes you the best cousin ever! Trust me, that's why Zhang liked you in the first place, and it's what made my father love you so much."

Hearing the kind and spirited words coming out of his older cousin made his heart warm. Bumi was truly thankful to have Lei as a cousin.

"Thanks Lei. I'm so glad I met you."

Lei extended a hand to Bumi, to which he firmly shook in response.

"Back at ya Bumi."

Just then, Mariko walked into the dining hall.

"Young Lei, you have a visitor."

Lei and Bumi gave each other surprised looks. Who in Republic City would be here to visit him?

"Who is it?" Lei asked her curiously.

"She claimed her name to be Jia, from Kyoshi Island. She's waiting for you by the courtyard," she stated as she left the dining hall.

Thank goodness Lei just finished his glass of strawberry juice, because if he was drinking it right now, he knew he would have spat it out all over the table.

_What?! What's she doing here?_

Noticing the surprised yet worried look on his cousin's face, Bumi giggled.

"So, you left a note telling her you love her, haven't talked with her in a month, and now she's here. BUM BUM BUM!"

Lei would have laughed along, but his nerves were all too worked up right now. "Bumi! What am I gonna do?"

"Well there's only one thing you can do, go to her. She's waiting."

Bumi was right. The longer he stays here all nerve-wrecked, the longer she'll be waiting. Slowly and silently, Lei got up and headed for the courtyard, while Bumi wished him luck.

On his way, many thoughts plagued his mind. These thoughts were primarily negative, such as getting rejected or "friend-zoned." Either way, things will never be the same. Lei knew that, but he still had to tell her the truth last month. He had to get it off his chest.

He was probably so wrapped up in his thoughts, because he realize he just made it to the courtyard.

There was Jia, walking towards him with a small smile.

All of a sudden, it was like the world around them was frozen. Time stopped, and there was Lei and Jia.

"Hey Lei," she greeted him gently and kindly.

"H-hey. What are you doing here?"

"My parents decided it was time to visit Republic City. This place surely is beautiful! It's just like what people say it is."

Oh how he missed that voice so much.

"Yeah, it is isn't it?" Honestly, Lei was glad the conversation is going normal so far. So far...

"So how are things by the way?" Jia asked curiously, "Between you and your family?"

"Great!" Lei told her happily, no longer having his nerves all worked up. "Things between my parents are going well. The relationship between my dad and I is going smoothly. I'm also getting along with everyone else. Things are going absolutely well."

Jia smiled at him, "I'm glad. You did it."

"Did what?" Lei asked her curiously.

"Giving your father a chance. Since you gave him that chance, look at how things are now."

Lei smiled at her, "Yeah..." He began to scratch the back of his head and blushed, "Heh heh, I guess have you to thank for that."

Jia thought he looked cute, and she began to blush herself. "So I was right after all, huh?"

_Oh no, that cute voice again. Gosh she's pretty._

"Yeah yeah, you were right," Lei tried to joke along, but it was hard to hide his feelings right now, "I'm glad I gave my father a chance. Thanks Jia."

Jia walked up to him closer, and took his hand into her own. This caused Lei to blush even harder.

_We're best friends, aren't we? _Lei thought to himself.

"About that letter you left me..."

_Oh no, here we go._

Lei winced. Here goes that topic.

"Can you say it again?"

Lei was caught off guard, "Wh-what?"

"Those three words," Jia spoke to him softly, "Can you say them again? I want to hear it this time."

Lei was surprised, but his shock suddenly turned into happiness.

_She feels the same way too..._

Thank goodness for him.

"I love you," he told her.

Jia smiled, and she cupped his cheek.

Slowly, their heads leaned, and they kissed. His arms were around her waist, and her arms were around his neck. It was the best feeling ever. It was a kiss that felt like it should've been done long ago. It was a kiss that told them that things are the way it should be.

Before they continued, Jia had one more thing to say, "I love you too."

And Lei smiled before he continued kissing her.

From a distance, Bumi, Tenzin, Kya, Sokka and Suki watched. All with big smiles.

Later that night, it wasn't just a guys night out anymore. Jia tagged along, and Lei was happy to introduce her to Zhang.

* * *

_One year later_

It's been nineteen years.

Eighteen of those years, Suki never saw the man she loved ever again. Instead, she was left with a son. A son she loved very much. A son that looked so much like his father that it hurts. Every now and then, she would miss that man she loves so much. However, her son was there to help fill that void. Her only regret was that she wishes she told that man she loved about his son, and therefore, she never gave him the chance. Little did she know, eighteen of the nineteen years that passed by would have been more satisfying if she did something differently.

Eighteen of those years, Sokka never saw the woman he loved ever again. Instead, he tried his best to move on. He met other women now and then, and he even went into a risky relationship. However, every now and then, he would miss the woman he loved very much. Out of all the women in his life, none can compare to her. His only regret was not going back to her. He missed out on being in her life, and moreover, he missed out on raising a son. Little did he know, eighteen of the nineteen years that passed by would have been more satisfying if he did something differently.

Seventeen of those years, Lei grew up with a loving mother. As he grew older, he never cared about having a father. Eventually, the time came when he had to make the decision to meet that man, especially for the sake of his mother. Things may have been pretty rough at first, but Lei was glad he made that decision. His only regret was that he never made that decision earlier. Little did he know, most of the seventeen years he's been living would have been more satisfying if he did something differently.

But like they always tell themselves: Move on. Don't dwell on the past. What's done is done. Focus on the future.

And focusing on the future they shall.

Lei and Jia has gotten accepted to the University of Republic City, and they were more than thrilled to be attending school together.

Of course, every now and then, they would visit Kyoshi Island. It was also their home.

Sokka and Suki were inseparable. Lei was their cherished son. The three were a happy family.

And here they were, everyone, at Sokka and Suki's wedding. The wedding took place at Air Temple Island. Aang and Katara were more than happy to have everything set up perfectly.

Everyone was there. From families to friends, to even co-workers. Friends and families from Kyoshi Island and the Southern and Northern Water Tribes were also invited.

The wedding took place at the plaza, and right now, the most important event is happening. Everyone sat in rows in the center of the plaza, while Sokka and Suki's moment took place on stage.

"Would you, Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, take the beautiful Suki, to be your lawfully wedded wife? Will you promise to love and take care of her, in sickness and in health?"

Mariko was the one who asked the question.

"I do," Sokka stated simply and contentedly.

"And would you, Suki of Kyoshi Island, take the mighty Sokka to be your lawfully wedded husband? Will you promise to love and care for him, no matter how tough times may get?"

"I do," Suki stated softly and happily.

Everyone smiled.

"You may now kiss the bride."

Sokka and Suki put their arms around each other, and kissed.

Everyone was happy, especially the front rows. Lei, Jia, Bumi, Aang, Katara, Zuko, Mai, Toph, Ty Lee, Haru, Kya, Tenzin, Izumi, Lin, Hakoda, Ursa, Iroh, and many more all clapped their hands.

Both the couple continued kissing for what felt like a lifetime.

Finally, they're together again.

They'll stay together, and they'll raise their son together.

Their lives are complete now.

Their lives are rebuilt.

* * *

**_The End._**

* * *

**Thank you all who stuck by throughout this story. **

**I remembered when I first had this idea, and decided to make a story of it. I'm sorry if anything in this story felt rushed to you guys. As I stated before, my Avatar fandomness wasn't as strong as before, and I found myself obsessed with other fandoms. Therefore, I do admit, it was hard to feel motivated sometimes when writing/finishing up this story.**

**But I was still determined to finish this story. From my view, I'm glad to have the main characters in the story be content with their lives. **

**And I will always regard Avatar: The Last Airbender (and The Legend of Korra as well) as the greatest cartoon(s) of all times. They have been a big part of my life and were my main fandom(s). Morever, just because they aren't my "main" fandoms anymore, doesn't mean I'll be leaving them. For example, I'm still a hardcore Kataang shipper. ;)**

**Thanks again guys!**


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